A New Legend
by NajikaIce
Summary: It was a thank-you trip... at first. The Doctor and his newest companion, Merlin, set out on various adventures that will ultimately change the very fate of Camelot itself. AU Crossover. Platonic Bros!DoctorMerlin; other ships inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey-o. So, I'm taking a break from The King's Secret- I AM NOT ABANDONING IT! I just had this idea stuck in my head for a while and decided to write it. I'm stuck on a certain part of TKS that I don't wanna half-ass, so I'm writing other things to get me back in the mood.**

**This particular venture into fangirlism is a crossover between Merlin and another favorite show of mine: Doctor Who! Because, oh my god, can't you see Merlin and the Doctor being bros? They can snark at each other, be badasses, and still giggle at stupid jokes together! So I wanted to write a prelude to an idea for a crossover episode I had, which may or may not end up on FF. net.**

***This takes place shortly after S2E1 of Merlin (The Curse of Cornelius Sigan) and the end of S6 of Doctor Who (after The Wedding of River Song). I don't own either of these shows, btw.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The Doctor had long since stopped asking the question, "How did I get into this mess?"

It was an irrefutable fact that trouble followed the Timelord wherever he went, whether he liked it or not. All he wanted was to swing by medieval England and explore a bit, that was all! After all, it had been such a long time since he visited the age of knights and chivalry; he had a time machine, he could go wherever he damn well pleased. He spent a good twenty minutes lamenting this, and his poor fortune, and another twenty thinking back on what had happened. You know, to organize his thoughts.

He had tried landing the TARDIS in a remote area, where he wouldn't attract any attention. Well… He landed in the middle of the Court of Camelot. Mind you, he was quite confused to see King Uther Pendragon and his son, Prince Arthur, staring him in the face like he was a madman. Then again, he supposed, any man who materialized out of thin air would be rather suspicious. Before he could utter a syllable of explanation, the King shouted "Sorcery!" in an accusatory tone and he was hauled towards the dungeons without trial.

From what he could gather, sorcery was not welcome in this version of Camelot. Which was pretty upsetting. Really, what was Camelot without magic? He could only imagine what poor, boring job this Camelot's Merlin was stuck with. Did they even have a Merlin?

"Excuse me?"

The Doctor looked up from his (not so) comfortable spot on the cell's floor to find a young man staring at him through the bars. He held a plate of food in his hands.

"I, uh, have some food for you."

The alien blinked once and stood up. "Oh, good, thank you! I was starting to worry this place had no hospitality at all." He reached through the bars and pulled the plate through.

The man smiled. "They figured they might as well feed you, seeing as how they want to interrogate you later."

"Interrogate?" asked the Doctor, currently chewing through an apple (which was still rubbish, but hey, he was making do). "For what? I just got here."

For this the man gave him a strange look. "… You faded in out of thin air. Shocked the King quite a bit. So they want to know what you're up to."

The Doctor swallowed. "I'm not up to anything. I just wanted to visit. And let me tell you, this is not the Camelot I was expecting… Oh. I'm the Doctor, by the way."

"The… Doctor?"

He nodded. "Just that." The Doctor stuck his hand through the bar, making the man jump back as if he were attacked. "No, no, I just want to shake hands. And you are…?"

The man took a minute before letting out a short breath of laughter and returning the Doctor's gesture. "Merlin," he said. "I'm Merlin."

At once, the Doctor's jaw dropped, causing 'Merlin' to let go of his hand and look at him strangely again. "Merlin?"

"Y-Yes?"

"As in, the Merlin?"

"I'm sorry, have we met before?"

Quickly the Doctor shook his head. "No! I mean, probably not, I just… Wow, really?"

"Yes… It was the name I was born with."

"Well. It's nice to meet you… Merlin."

"You as well, Doctor. I think."

The Doctor laughed, earning a small grin from Merlin. Suddenly he leaned forward, almost pressing his face against the bars; the guards were far out of hearing distance, he noted with glee.

"So, Merlin," he began. "Would you mind if I asked you a few questions? I'm new here, you know."

Merlin leaned forward as well, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I know. But I'm not the one who's supposed to be interrogated. In fact, I shouldn't have stayed so long."

"Well, a few more minutes won't kill you!"

"You don't know how strict Art- the Prince is on schedules. He'd throw me in the stocks if I was late again."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Merlin shrugged. "He's not exactly the best prat to be manservant to."

"_Manservant?"_

"Why are you so shocked at everything I say?"

"Never mind that, but _manservant?_"

"MERLIN!" Another young man's voice echoed off the stone walls. The guards immediately went rigid, but Merlin's shoulders slumped in a defeated manner.

"Speak of the devil…" he muttered.

As if cued, a blonde dressed in fine garments descended the stairs, wearing an expression that was a cross between angry and annoyed. Mostly annoyed.

"We sent you down to deliver food ten minutes ago! What the hell is taking you so long?"

"I was just-!"

"Don't tell me you were talking to the prisoner?" The man, presumably Prince Arthur, rolled his eyes, like he was used to 'idiotic' behavior from Merlin. The Doctor frowned. This Camelot's Arthur was… as Merlin put it earlier, a prat.

"Actually," he interjected, raising his hand like a schoolboy, "I was talking to him. He's polite, you know, didn't want to just blow me off."

"I wasn't talking to you," Arthur scowled. He turned to Merlin. "Come on, we're supposed to start training." Merlin opened his mouth to reply, but the Prince stopped him. "And as penalty for being late, you can hold the shields up while we spar."

Merlin groaned. The Doctor spotted a guard giving Merlin a pitying look, but he quickly righted himself before the Prince saw.

"Now hold on, he was what, ten minutes late? That's a bit harsh." the Doctor crossed his arms and glared at Arthur. "Do you always treat him like that?"

Arthur seemed affronted that a prisoner would dare talk back to him. "How I treat my manservant is none of your business, sorcerer!"

"Oh, and just because you're a prince, that means you can treat everyone else like dirt? That's not a good quality in a future ruler!"

Arthur stepped closer. "You do realize we could just skip the interrogation and execute you right now?"

The Doctor retorted petulantly. "Because _that's _the kind of King everybody wants; a child who executes anyone who doesn't like him."

The Prince's jaw dropped; Merlin was holding his hand to his mouth to try and stop himself from laughing. Without another word, the Prince stormed upstairs in a worse mood than when he came down.

Merlin's smothered laughter finally died down. "That… was incredible!"

The Doctor grinned, fixing his bowtie in a proud manner. "Thank you. You shouldn't let him walk all over you, though."

"He's the Prince; besides, he's actually quite decent when he's not being a clotpole."

"A what?"

"Never mind," said Merlin, but both men ended up smiling at each other. "I should get going, though."

"Ah." The Doctor raised his hand in a mock salute, though he knew the other wouldn't get the modern gesture. Nevertheless, Merlin nodded and turned to leave.

"Good luck!" he shouted behind him. In a few seconds, the boy was gone up the stairs.

The Doctor exhaled, the lingering remains of a smile still on his face. He sat back down in his corner, replaying the scene that had just transpired over in his head. All the details were still iffy, but he could gather this much; he was in a Camelot much, much different from the stories, and any version he experienced. Magic was taboo and the great warlock Merlin was now just a servant to an unbearably arrogant Arthur. Oh, and the Doctor was at risk of being executed, but he supposed he was used to that by now.

He laid his head back against the wall and sighed. "Oh Doctor," he said aloud. "How are you going to get out of this one?"

* * *

A few hours later, the Doctor heard multiple footsteps coming down the stairs. He stood up, as the noise disturbed his counting of all the pieces of straw in his cell (currently 358), and saw an older man dressed in black glowering at him. He was backed by a knight and another man, much older than he, in red robes. He immediately knew the first man to be King Uther, as he was the one who shouted to throw the Doctor in the dungeons in the first place.

"Hello," said the Doctor, much too energetic to be someone stuck in a dingy cell. This attempt at civility, however, only spurred Uther to frown even deeper, creating deep lines in the King's face.

"You," he growled out. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor, pleasure to meet you. You must be King Uther?"

"Yes, I am. And if you know that, then you certainly know why you're down here?"

"Well…" The Timelord scratched the back of his neck. "Not really. Normally people get thrown into dungeons because they've committed some sort of crime, but I wasn't doing anything."

Uther huffed, making him seem more like an impatient father rather than a hostile King. "You showed up in the middle of Court _out of thin air! _Try and tell me that's not sorcery!"

"Okay, it's not sorcery."

If it weren't for the metal bars separating them, the Doctor was sure the King would've mauled him.

"Then what, pray tell, is it?" This came from the older man behind the King. His tone was more polite, endearing him more to the Timelord.

"Science." The Doctor did jazz hands as he said the words, grinning at the man's bemused expression. "Specifically, it's your basic materialization sequence from a Type 40 TARDIS. I had planned to land in the forest somewhere, but I must have hit the wrong button on the control console and ended up in your castle. Sorry about that by the way, was anyone hurt?"

All three men stared at the Doctor; he was quite tired of the staring by then. Then Uther shook his head and turned around.

"He's clearly mad."

"I concur," said the older man, eyebrows raised. "What do you plan to do with him, Sire?"

"What I do with every sorcerer. He'll be burnt at the stake tomorrow morning." The King made his exit, the silent knight following close behind. The older man sighed and gave the Doctor an apologetic look before leaving as well.

'Well,' thought the Doctor. 'That could've gone better.'

* * *

It took another hour for the Doctor to realize he didn't have his sonic screwdriver on him at that exact moment, making him curse his luck; he was also upset that he didn't think of his handy little device earlier, not that he could've used it. It was currently lying on the console of the TARDIS, and god knows where she was. The Doctor was in the process of hitting his head against the wall before someone coughed nervously in front of his cell.

Merlin was standing there, smiling sheepishly.

"Hey. Uh… Are you alright?"

"Just marveling at what an idiot I can be. What are you doing back here?"

"Well, you did say you had questions for me. I have some for you, too."

"Oh. What about the…?" The Doctor peered as far as he could to spot the guards, but all he saw was their slumped forms against the wall. He looked back at Merlin, bewildered.

"I'll explain that later. What questions did you have?"

The Doctor took a minute, still contemplating how a tiny thing like Merlin could knock out two trained guards, before he spoke again. "Right; firstly, do you know where my TARDIS is?"

"Uh…"

"The big blue box?" he added impatiently.

"Oh! Yes, they took that and stored it in one of the vaults; it's where they take all stolen magical objects. What is that thing anyway?"

"She's not a thing!" said the Doctor indignantly. "She's my TARDIS."

"… Right… And… What's a TARDIS?"

"Time And Relative Dimensions In Space!" he announced. Merlin still looked confused. "She's my mode of transport, if you will."

"Okay… Next question."

"Uhm…" Really, his TARDIS was his only concern. "Wait, why are you telling me all this? For all you know, I really could be a crazy sorcerer! You'd be helping me escape!"

Merlin crossed his arms and smiled amusedly. "You'd be one terrible sorcerer if you haven't just used your magic to break out already. Besides," he added softly, "you don't seem like a bad guy to me."

The Doctor took this in and beamed at the servant. Then his smile turned sour. "If only your King thought the same way. He's having me roast to death tomorrow."

"Already? That was quick," commented Merlin. "I thought I'd have more time…"

"For what?" asked the Doctor, curious.

Merlin looked both ways, ensuring the guards were still knocked out. Then, he grinned at the Doctor and pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. The Doctor laughed.

"You naughty thing!"

"Consider it thanks for putting Arthur in his place earlier. He didn't make me hold the shields, you know."

"Hmm, he's redeemable yet."

With the air of camaraderie between them, no further words were exchanged as Merlin unlocked the cell and let the Doctor out.

"Thank you, Merlin," said the Doctor sincerely. "But… why? Regardless if you think I'm good or bad, setting someone free isn't going to get you a lot of respect from anyone."

"If they catch me. Which they haven't, so far." The boy had a cocky grin on his face. "Now come on, I'll show you where your… box is."

"TARDIS."

"Right."

The Doctor followed Merlin, creeping past the unconscious guards and making their way upstairs. He led the alien through corridors of the elaborate castle, finally coming to a stop at a corner. Peering around the edge, they saw another guard posted in front of a set of double doors.

"Is that the vault?" asked the Doctor quietly. Merlin nodded.

"I can trust you, right, Doctor?" he whispered.

Confused, the Doctor responded, "Of course. You've helped me enough, why shouldn't you?"

"Then watch this." Merlin stared straight at the guard and held his hand out towards him. The Doctor did watch, amazed, as Merlin's eyes began to glow gold. "_Swefe nu_!" the boy chanted under his breath, and suddenly the guard dropped to the floor, fast asleep.

Now he knew how Merlin took out the other two guards.

"Yes!" The Doctor almost shouted, but he kept his voice at an excited whisper. Merlin looked at him, confused.

"I knew you had to have magic! I knew it!"

"How did you…?"

"I mean, what's Merlin without magic, am I right? There's no way you could've just been Arthur's servant, I mean seriously!"

"Doctor!" The Timelord ceased his babbling at Merlin's stern tone. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Oh, I'll explain it to you later. Brilliant old you. Hah!" The Doctor, with a jaunty sort of skip in his step, walked around the corner to the doors. Merlin, still bewildered by the strange outburst from the former prisoner, followed.

The Doctor tried opening the doors, but to no avail. "It's locked," he groaned.

Merlin sighed, looking directly at the lock. "_Allinan."_ A distinct click came from within the wood. The Doctor pointed at the boy warlock.

"That," he exclaimed, "is _so _cool!"

Merlin smirked and pushed the doors open with ease; they both entered and saw a trove of strange artifacts laid out before them. At the very center, though, was the blue box.

"Aah, there you are my darling!" The Doctor crossed over to the TARDIS and embraced it, ignoring the look he as getting from the warlock. "I'm so sorry I let them put you in here!"

"Doctor…?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, this is Merlin, he helped me find you! He's absolutely amazing!"

Abruptly, the warning bells began ringing, signaling the Doctor's escape. Both men looked at each other, alarmed.

"You've got to get out of here!" ushered Merlin.

"No problem! … Hold on, what about you?"

"It's fine, I've gotten away with much more."

"No, I mean… Come with me."

"… What?"

"Come with me, in the TARDIS! Trust me, there's more space than it seems!"

"I… I'm sorry, I can't."

The Doctor's face fell. "Why not?"

"I can't leave Arthur. Look, it-… it's complicated."

"But aren't you tired of the way he treats you?"

"Like I said, he's not all bad…"

Trying to persuade him, but aware of the time limit, the Doctor continued. "Did I mention this was a time machine?"

"A what?"

"I can take you anywhere in time and space, and get you back here before anyone notices you're gone!"

This seemed too great a concept for the warlock to comprehend. "R-Really?"

"Yes! Pleeeeease?" The Doctor pulled his best puppy dog eyes that everyone (sans River, sadly enough) fell for. Fortunately, Merlin was not an exception.

"I… I guess a day off wouldn't be so bad… But only if you promise it won't be for long!"

"Merlin, it'll be like no time passed at all." The Doctor, a full-blown grin on his face, held out one hand to Merlin, and used to other to push the TARDIS door open. Cautiously, Merlin took his hand and let himself be pulled into the box.

It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

A golden hue overtook the entire space, which was much grander than he expected; indeed, the box was… well, it was…

"It's bigger on the inside!"

The Doctor closed the door behind him, hiding his delighted smile from the warlock. "That it is!" He waltzed up the steps to the large cylinder in the center; the console. "And that's not even the best part!"

Merlin watched the Doctor pull knobs and levers of all sorts, amazed at the lights and sounds they produced.

With a theatrical flair, the Doctor rested his hand on one such lever and leveled Merlin with a cool look.

"Next stop: anywhere!" He pulled it, and though Merlin couldn't see it happen, the blue box materialized out of the vault and into space. And little did either of them know the drastic changes their adventures would cause to Merlin's destiny.

* * *

**So, what did you guys think? I hope the characterizations are alright; it's really hard coming up with witty, Doctor-ish things you'd hear in a typical Who episode.**

**Also, I thought Arthur was a huge jerkass in the first two seasons. There's gonna be a lot of that.**

**I'm still working on TKS, don't worry. This is just a little side thing going on.**

**R&R!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Another installment of the Doctor and his pal Merlin's adventures!**

**I'm trying to write this like a legit story from Doctor Who, so I hope you'll forgive the inclusion of the OC in here. She's just for this story.**

* * *

"So… We're really moving right now?"

"Yep."

"Through space?"

"Mm-hm!"

Merlin leaned back against the rails inside the TARDIS. "This has been a really weird day. Even for me."

"Ah, yes, that reminds me," the Doctor flicked a switch and swiveled around to face the warlock. "What exactly is a powerful warlock like you doing as a Prince's manservant?"

Merlin cocked an eyebrow. "I never told you how powerful I was."

"I guessed," shrugged the Doctor. "You must be, considering you live right under the King's nose." Of course, it helped that he knew plenty about the Arthurian legends.

"Right… Well," the boy crossed his arms over his chest, staring pensively into the TARDIS console. "Do you believe in destiny, Doctor?"

"I try not to. Why?"

"Because someone told me that Arthur was going to be a great King one day… But only if I'm there to protect him. Now, I know that sounds crazy, but…"

"No, not crazy at all." The Doctor smiled softly. Merlin smiled back, and then coughed into his hand.

"Actually, Doctor, I was wondering… What are you? You're not a sorcerer, but you're got this box that's magically bigger on the inside…"

"Ah, ah, ah! Not magic!" the Doctor said. "It's dimensionally transcendental."

"…"

"… Science."

"Ah."

"As for what I am, I'm called a Timelord; from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous!" The Timelord bowed dramatically. Merlin chuckled in reply.

"And… Timelords, correct? You all have these… TARDISEs?"

The Doctor suddenly became quiet. He turned off the monitor and avoided Merlin's gaze.

"Doctor…?"

"We used to. You see, I'm the only one left."

Merlin's eyes widened. "O-Oh… Doctor, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No, no, it's fine!" He coughed to clear his voice. "I've gotten over it…"

"How can you get over being the last of your kind?" The warlock's head tilted to the left, searching the Doctor for a reply.

After a while, the Doctor gave him one. "Time," he said quietly. "If there's anything I have, it's time."

An awkward silence settled between them, the only noise being the various beeps and metallic echoes from the TARDIS.

"So!" shouted the Doctor, just a bit too loud; Merlin jumped at his exclamation. "Anywhere in the universe and all the time in the world- where do you want to go?"

Merlin smiled, happy for the change of subject. "I… I don't know, actually."

The Doctor clapped him on the shoulder. "Too many choices?"

"I don't know a lot about the world, much less the future. And time travel! I mean, are there rules? Certain places we _can't_ go?"

"There are certain fixed points," the Doctor explained, "meaning events in time we can't change, no matter what. But, as long as no significant changes are made, everything should be fine."

Merlin was still hesitant.

"How about we let the TARDIS choose?"

"She can do that?"

The alien grinned proudly, spinning around the console like a child on his birthday. "Of course she can! Look!" Merlin walked over to where the Doctor was standing. He pointed at a wheel nestled deep among the gadgets on the console. "Just spin that, and she'll take us where it lands!"

The Doctor's enthusiasm was infectious, and Merlin found himself sharing the same childish grin as he spun the wheel; they both watched as it gradually came to a stop, and suddenly the TARDIS lurched forwards, sending them to their destination. Merlin grabbed the railing and looked at the Doctor, wondering if he should have been concerned about the bumpy flight. But the Timelord was laughing delightedly, giving the warlock a thumbs-up instead. Apparently, the turbulence was completely normal.

* * *

"There we are! Hmm…" The Doctor looked up at the screen, reading the date and location. "Ooh, 1892, London! Not a bad start!"

"And where is London?" asked Merlin, still winded from the ride.

"It's in the same country as where Camelot was, actually. It's a city, capital of Great Britain. And we've landed in its Industrialization Era!" He turned to see Merlin's reaction, but the young boy only seemed more confused.

"Indus… what?"

"I'll show you," smiled the Doctor. "Oh, but first, you might want to change. You'd stand out a bit in those clothes."

Merlin's eyes went down, observing his servant's attire. Then he gave the Doctor a look. "And you won't?"

"Oh, I'll be fine. Now, the wardrobe is up the stairs, first right, second left, there should be a big sign on the door that says 'Wardrobe'. Off you pop." He flicked the back of his hand towards the door in a shooing motion.

Merlin shook his head with a small smile, slowly growing used to the Doctor's eccentric ways, and departed to find the wardrobe.

"And the TARDIS has laid out some Victorian-Era stuff, just take your pick!" shouted the Doctor as an afterthought. Merlin shouted back confirmation that he had heard.

The Doctor let the silly smile remain on his face; Merlin was already proving to be an interesting companion, and they hadn't even set foot outside of the TARDIS. He wondered if there were repercussions to taking a legendary figure out of his timeline- then again, he thought, he'd done much worse. In fact, it was already strange that he had encountered an alternate version of Camelot to begin with; Arthur wasn't some illegitimate son, magic was banned, and Merlin was an actual person and not a title.

He thought back to a few weeks ago, when he faked his own death. The affair wasn't exactly what he'd call a happy memory, but it had kept his friends safe, and that's what mattered. But here he was, with a new traveling partner, and it had all happened so fast. Briefly he wondered what Amy and Rory would make of Merlin; Amy did mention that she loved legends, so she was probably familiar with King Arthur and his story. And Rory would be skeptical about his magic until Merlin showed it to him, and River… Oh, the Doctor didn't want to think about what she would do to the young warlock.

But still, maybe one day…

'No, Doctor!' he said to himself, shaking his head. 'This is just a thank-you trip! Merlin's got a destiny to take care of! He can't go off having adventures with you!' He exhaled deeply, glaring at his reflection in the console.

"Lonely idiot…" he muttered.

"What?" Merlin's voice came from the top of the stairs, making the Timelord turn around.

"Ah, nothing! Just talking to myself." The Doctor looked his new companion up and down. "Don't you look lovely!"

Merlin dressed simply, wearing a plain white shirt and dark blue vest, over which he threw on a black jacket. His trousers were also black, and on his feet were simple brown shoes. But what stood out to the Doctor, however, was the blue neckerchief still tied around his neck.

"… Kept the neckerchief, though, huh?"

Merlin coughed into his hand, embarrassed. "I feel more comfortable with it on, thank you very much. It's not like you're not wearing something odd around your neck."

Instinctively, the Doctor's hand shot up to fix his bowtie. "It's a bowtie," he protested, "and I'll have you know, it's very cool."

He rolled his eyes. "Mmhm."

"Anyway, shall we go? I know a good restaurant we can eat at; and there's this lovely park a few blocks down from there."

"Sounds good."

The Doctor opened the door and let Merlin walk out first, following after and locking the TARDIS behind him.

"By god, we really have moved…!" The warlock was staring, wide-eyed, at eh scenery; the TARDIS had landed in the middle of an alley, presumably to make the big blue box less conspicuous to any discerning civilian.

"Pretty impressive, eh?" said the Doctor, puffing his chest out with pride. "We're about 1300 years in your future."

"1300?!" shouted Merlin, facing the Timelord. "We're that far!?"

"Don't worry about it! This is your vacation!" He pushed Merlin out of the alley and into the streets of Victorian London.

* * *

The Doctor had had companions from the past before, so he knew what to expect when he brought them to the future; of course, they were always fascinated with the new technology, the new settings, and there was always the overwhelmed feeling that left them sitting down for a couple of minutes, just thinking about the possibilities of the future.

Merlin, for the most part, kept up those habits.

He did, in fact, try not to gape at the carriages and lamplights (and he slapped the Doctor when he caught him smirking), and the tall stone buildings were definitely more impressive than the huts back home in Camelot- though, he argued, the castle was still more striking. But they spent two hours after checking out that restaurant running around, seeing all that they could see. It was quite exhausting, though the Doctor found that he didn't mind; it felt nice to run without a dangerous predator on his tail.

The warlock did eventually collapse on a park bench, but his face was covered with a bright smile, and his eyes were still surveying the streets with curiosity. The Doctor fell onto the seat next to him, trying to catch his breath and still his quickened heartbeats.

"You're much faster than I thought a manservant would be," commented the Doctor.

Merlin laughed. "Arthur's always bringing me along whenever he goes out; running is practically in the job description. And you keep up quite well, for someone who travels in a box."

"Oi," he scolded jokingly. "I'll have you know, there's an awful lot of running involved in my travels."

"I imagine you get into a lot of trouble, then."

"You have no idea, Merlin. No idea at all."

Suddenly, the warlock looked over the Doctor's shoulder. "What is that?" he asked, squinting his eyes. The Doctor followed his gaze until it landed on a gathering crowd of people. Their din could be heard even at that distance, which was at least several feet. The Doctor looked back at Merlin and grinned.

"Let's find out!"

The duo got up from their seats and made their way to the crowd, where it became distinctly clear there was some sort of argument going on. Sure enough, when they were close enough to peer into the center of the crowd, there was a young woman yelling her head off at an older gentleman.

"What do you mean, 'it's useless'?! I didn't pay you one hundred sovereigns to just quit!" Her brunette tresses fell out of her bun as she yelled.

"Is… Is that a lot?" Merlin muttered to the Doctor. He nodded.

"Enough for a nice dinner and a few new suits. Wonder where she got the money…?"

One of the spectators turned around and gawked at the pair. "You don't know who that is?" he asked incredulously.

The Doctor blinked. "No… Should we?"

"That's Margaret Sheffield, heiress to the Sheffield Electric Company fortune! Haven't you been reading the news?"

"We just popped in, actually," he replied, sneaking a side glance to Merlin, who looked confused. "What's an heiress doing ranting off in the middle of the street?"

"Miss Sheffield's parents went missing a week ago, so she's hired some private detective to find them; guess he didn't do so well, poor bloke."

"The owners of a big company went missing?"

"Aye, kidnapped, according to Miss Sheffield. The Yard hasn't found anything either."

"The Yard?" Merlin whispered to his friend.

"Scotland Yard: the law enforcement of London," he answered back.

All three of them snapped their attention back to the angry Margaret Sheffield, who had slapped the detective and stormed off, shooing away the crowd with a vexed gesture.

"That was… odd," said Merlin. "But I feel sorry for her. To have your parents missing…"

"Mmhm," the Doctor mumbled, though he didn't appear nearly as sympathetic, only intrigued. "What do you say we go and comfort the young lady?"

"How would we do that?"

"By listening; come on!"

They quickly caught up to the heiress, who had the disadvantage of Victorian-Era heels slowing her down.

The Doctor called after her. "Excuse me! Miss Sheffield! Beg your pardon!"

"What?!" she hissed, whipping around angrily. "If you're another reporter, I swear…!"

"No, no, not reporters!" He held up his hands in surrender. "My friend and I were just wondering what happened."

Margaret scrutinized the two of them. "… Read a newspaper, I haven't got time to tell stories."

"Oh, but please, we want to hear it from the source! You know the papers; when do they ever get it right?"

"Why should I? Like I said, I need to get going."

The Doctor huffed, clearly growing impatient with the young lady.

"Where are you going?" ventured Merlin, who decided to try and help. Margaret frowned, displeased that she was still being held up.

"If you must know," she barked, "I'm going to find a detective who won't quit after three days!"

Merlin replied calmly, as if he were chatting with a friend. "Do you have anyone in mind?"

"Actually… yes, I do." Margaret's tone softened. "I'm looking for a Madame Vastra. She's supposedly the Great Detective who closes all the cases the Yard can't figure out."

"She sounds remarkable," smiled Merlin.

The heiress smiled back, and even blushed a bit. "Yes. The only problem is, I don't know where she lives…"

"And that's where we can help you!" the Doctor shouted, making Margaret jump.

Her demeanor again turned sour. "And how are you going to do that?"

"You see, Madame Vastra is an old friend of mine. We can take you to her."

"We can?" asked Merlin.

"We can! So, my lady, may we escort you?" He extended a courteous hand to her, which she pointedly ignored.

"I… suppose you could show me the way to her home. But that's it."

The Doctor retracted his hand, his smile faltering. "Fair enough. How do you feel, Merlin?"

The warlock shrugged. "I guess it's fine."

He clapped his hands together. "Excellent! To Madame Vastra!"

* * *

Margaret called a cab for the three of them, and the Doctor gave directions to the driver. The heiress spent most of the ride batting her eyelashes at Merlin and asking him questions. The Camelot native answered as elusively as he could, trying to avoid revealing he was actually from the past. The Doctor… well, he was trying his hardest not to roll his eyes.

They drove up to Vastra's address, allowing Margaret to exit first.

"This is it?" she asked, sneering her lip. "It's quite small."

"Madame Vastra likes cozy places," answered the Doctor. He went up to the door and lifted the knocker, tapping it against the wood three times. It took 30 seconds exactly before the door creaked open, revealing a rather pretty young woman in a maid's uniform.

"Yes, how may I- Doctor?" The woman clearly seemed shocked to see the Timelord. He bowed graciously.

"Hello, Jenny my dear! Is the Madame in?

Her mouth moved up and down several times before she swallowed, collecting herself.

"Y-Yes. Allow me to show you and your…" Jenny peered over his shoulder to observe Merlin and Margaret, who were standing uncertainly behind the alien. "… friends inside."

She bowed and let the three of them enter. The door closed behind them with a gentle click, and then she took her place at the head of the party to lead them, presumably, to Madame Vastra.

"By the way, where's Strax? I thought he was your doorman." The Doctor asked conversationally.

"Ma'am let him take a vacation. I think he's in a tavern in Ireland right about now."

"Fighting the natives, no doubt." He chuckled. "Good ol' Strax."

"Your friends have very strange names." Margaret muttered.

"I pride myself on having strange friends." He winked at Merlin, who smiled in reply.

Jenny led them into a sizable parlor, filled with tropical plants and flowers. Margaret fanned at herself with an air of disdain.

"It's a bit too humid, don't you think?"

Jenny gave a clipped reply. "Ma'am prefers it that way."

"Who's there, Jenny?" A woman wearing a black veil was seated in an armchair, holding a teacup and a saucer.

"It's the Doctor, Ma'am. And his two friends."

The woman sat up immediately. "Doctor? Is that really you?"

He opened his arms with a grin. "Hello, Madame! How long has it been?"

Her smile was barely visible through the veil. "It's been a few months since Demon's Run. Five, I think."

"Ah. So a long while, then." The Doctor bowed his head, embarrassed.

"Ah-hem." Margaret cleared her throat. "If the catching up is quite done?"

"Oh! Yes, Vastra, I've brought you a case, if you're up for it!" He gestured to the two young adults behind him. "This is Margaret Sheffield, an heiress, and Merlin, a companion of mine."

Margaret crossed her arms indignantly, but Merlin at least had the decency to bow.

Madame Vastra laughed. "Another new companion? Why Doctor, they're getting younger and younger."

Merlin looked confusedly at the Doctor. The alien glowered like a child, waving his hand to dismiss the manner.

"Jenny," the woman ordered, "could you bring us some tea?"

"Right away, Ma'am." The maid curtsied and left the room, looking back at the Doctor one last time.

"Now, Doctor, what is this case you spoke of?" She moved to lift her veil, but stopped short.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Margaret suspiciously. Madame Vastra frowned.

"I'm simply used to talking face-to-face with the Doctor; others are often… shocked when the veil is removed."

"If you're talking about scars, save it. I want to see the face of who I'm hiring!"

Vastra looked to the Doctor.

He shrugged. "Might as well."

The detective nodded and pulled her veil back, revealing a scaly, green monster underneath.

Merlin stepped back, but Margaret took it a step further and fainted at the sight of her.

"Typical human reaction," Vastra hissed. Then she caught Merlin's stare. "… Why haven't you fainted?"

"Well, Ma'am," he started, voice cracking a bit, "no offense, but… I've seen bigger lizards."

The Doctor burst into laughter.

* * *

**Yea-uh.**

**Soo... Read and Review? I especially want to know what you guys make of Margaret. She's not exactly the kind of girl people like.**

**And finally: I LOVE MADAME VASTRA. She's one of my favorite characters EVER, and she seriously deserves a spin-off! I adore Jenny and Strax too!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Oh gosh, plot.**

**Also, it would prooooobably be a good time to mention the pairings in this fic. Romance isn't going to be a really big deal, but still.**

**Merlin/Morgana; Doctor/River; and, of course, Vastra/Jenny.**

* * *

Margaret's unconscious form was laid onto a luxurious velvet couch; according to the Doctor, it was actually called a "fainting couch", and such things were common in this era. Jenny came back a few minutes after the heiress had passed out, and, after serving everyone their tea, she half-heartedly began fanning at her. In the meantime, the Doctor, Merlin, and Madame Vastra were having a rather interesting conversation.

"So, Merlin, where did you meet the Doctor?" Madame Vastra smiled her scaly green smile over her teacup.

Merlin had already gotten used to her appearance and smiled back. "He got himself locked up in the dungeons. I just helped him escape." The Doctor flushed with embarrassment, preferring to not think about his time spent in that boring, straw-lined cell.

"It's not the first time he's been captured… Dungeons, you say? What time era are you from?"

"Uhm…" He paused. "According to the Doctor, I'm 1300 years in my future."

She calculated the year difference within seconds. "I don't believe you've ever had a medieval companion before, Doctor."

He coughed. "No. And that makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

"You keep mentioning 'companions'," Merlin remarked. "Does he do that sort of thing often? Invite strangers into his box?"

"Well, usually they have to impress him first. And if it makes any difference, you're the first male I've seen him with alone." Vastra gave the Doctor a smug look, while the Timelord pointedly stared into his cup with a pout.

"You made that sound dirty on purpose…"

Vastra and Merlin laughed at the Doctor's expense. Then, Jenny's quiet voice rose from the background.

"Ma'am, Miss Sheffield is waking up."

Margaret was indeed shifting in her sleep, her blue eyes blinking open. Suddenly she sat up and stared at Madame Vastra.

"Oh god! It wasn't a dream!" The heiress held a hand to her chest, breathing in and out rapidly. The Doctor rushed to her side.

"Now, now, Margaret, calm down! She's not going to hurt you, she's going to help you find your parents, remember?"

"You want me to trust a monster?!" she snapped angrily.

"She's not a monster! She's a Silurian."

"What the hell is that?!"

"I guess…" the Doctor scratched his head, his face scrunching up as he tried to think of a way to explain. "I guess you could say she's an alien? Though, technically, her race is from Earth. Just count yourself lucky she's not from the tribe with the three eyes."

"An alien?" Margaret scowled. "A bloody alien! Just my luck!" She threw up her arms and groaned in frustration.

The Doctor stepped back, giving her some space. Merlin leaned forward and muttered to the Timelord, "She reminds me of Arthur."

"Really? She reminds me of Donna- oh, wait, you don't know her. I had a ginger friend who yelled a lot, like her."

"I can hear you!" Margaret growled.

"Well!" Madame Vastra set down her teacup with a loud clang, silencing everyone in the room; Jenny hid a smug smile from the guests as her mistress cleared her throat.

"Miss Sheffield," she stated calmly, "the Doctor has informed me that you are looking for your missing parents. Now, I am more than willing to assist, provided that you can pay and that you show me proper respect. Are we understood?"

Margaret was silent for a while before nodding.

"Good. Now, tell us what happened."

She took a deep breath, still somewhat agitated, and began. They all listened intently to her story.

"It happened about a week ago; Mother, Father and I were in the dining room having dinner. We were arguing about something, I don't remember what… Then the lights went out. At first, Father just thought it was a blown fuse, so he sent a servant to go fix it, but…" Margaret suddenly shuddered, gripping her arms tight.

Merlin, who had taken a seat next to her on the fainting couch, gingerly placed an arm on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine…" She gulped. "Then we heard the servant scream, and the lights turned on and started to flicker… And… Then a _monster _was in the dining room."

"A monster?" inquired the Doctor.

"Yes… It was horrible. It growled at us and then it waved its arms around and knocked me unconscious… When I woke up, my parents were gone and the servant was found dead in the hallway."

"What did this monster look like?" the Doctor pressed on.

She bit her lip, trying to remember. "I… It was tall; at least seven feet in height… It looked human, but its fingers were like whips, and- and its head was covered in these strange markings…"

"Hmm…"

"Do you know what it is, Doctor?" Merlin asked.

"Not yet… but I plan to find out. Any chance we can help with the investigation, Madame?"

The lizard woman nodded briskly. "Only if Miss Sheffield permits it."

The heiress sighed, falling back onto the couch (on the opposite side of where Merlin was sitting) in a heap. "Why not? This day has been too strange for me to bear…"

"I know the feeling," said Merlin reassuringly. Margaret smiled at him, but the warlock was pulled out of her sight by a certain alien time traveler.

"Then let's get going! I know the perfect place to start investigating."

* * *

Vastra called in two cabs to take them to the Doctor's prescribed location; namely, the Sheffield Manor on the other side of London. While the Doctor complained that he could easily transport them there with the TARDIS, Vastra simply retorted with, "My investigation, Doctor. My rules."

She and Jenny were in the cab in front of Merlin and the Doctor's. Margaret had insisted that she stay behind, as she still felt weak. The Doctor had his arms crossed and a cross look on his face. Merlin couldn't help but chuckle at the Timelord's immaturity- he was actually like Arthur in that respect. But still, it couldn't hurt to try and cheer him up.

"So, Doctor…" he began. "Exactly how many companions have you had?"

"Hm… Too many to count. This may shock you, but I'm very old, Merlin."

"Actually, that's not too shocking at all. How old?"

The Doctor looked him square in the eye, a mischievous smile dancing on his lips. "Over a thousand years."

Merlin merely blinked. "You look quite good for your age."

"You're very hard to surprise, you know that?"

He shrugged. "After you show me a time machine, a different era, and a lizard woman? It's going to be hard to top all that. Plus, I've seen a lot myself."

"Like?" prompted the Doctor, leaning forward ever so slightly.

"Griffins, wraiths, a Questing Beast… Oh, and there's the giant talking dragon locked beneath the castle."

"You've defeated all those?"

"Well… with the Griffin I had help from a friend of mine, Lancelot." The Doctor almost squeaked at the mention on the legendary knight. "And the wraith, well, I only helped forge Excalibur, the sword. King Uther was the one who killed it."

The Doctor sat back, observing Merlin. "You are definitely going to come in handy."

"I'm glad someone thinks so," the warlock said sullenly. "It's nice having someone not scream bloody murder every time they hear the word 'magic'."

"How many people know? About your magic, I mean."

"My uncle, Gaius, for one. Lancelot knows too, but he's not around. And… that's it. Unless you count the dragon."

The Doctor laid a sympathetic hand on Merlin's shoulder. "It must be tough. What about Arthur? Are you ever going to tell him?"

The warlock was silent long enough for the Doctor to have his answer. "… When he's ready," he said at last.

"You know," Merlin continued, "I thought once that the Lady Morgana found out; turns out she just thought I had a crush on her maidservant, Gwen… I was so excited that someone else knew, too…"

"Morgana? Gwen?" The Doctor immediately perked up.

"Morgana is the King's ward; she and Arthur are practically brother and sister."

'That's what they are in the legends…' thought the Doctor. However, he only replied with, "Are Gwen and Morgana friends?"

"Oh, Gwen is the nicest person you'll ever meet. And the Lady Morgana…" Merlin trailed off, a small red blush tinting his cheeks. A smirk snuck its way onto the Doctor's features.

"Ohoho! More than a friend?"

"No!" squeaked Merlin, his blush intensifying. "No, she's just a friend… She's…"

"Sheeeee's…?"

"Oh shut it." The warlock looked out the window with a pout, the Doctor laughing at the lovely shade of red now covering his face. It was nice when he wasn't the one who was embarrassed. But still, the Doctor had to marvel at the difference from Merlin's Camelot and the one the Doctor knew through legends. Morgana was no longer a witch hell-bent on destroying Arthur, and Queen Guinevere was a servant. The Doctor would have to find out more later…

'Wait! Thank-you trip, there won't be a later! Stupid…' he reminded himself, exasperated already.

"What about you, Doctor?" asked Merlin, still staring out the window. "Have you got anyone special?"

"I'm married," he replied nonchalantly, but Merlin whipped his head around to look incredulously at the alien.

"Married? Really?"

"What? You don't think I'm husband material?" The Doctor adjusted his jacket with an overly dramatic huff. "I'll have you know, my wife is quite the knockout. Brilliant, too."

"Sorry," Merlin said. "I just wasn't expecting that… What her name?"

"River Song. I should introduce you sometime; she'd absolutely love you."

"Just don't build me up so much- I'd hate for her to be disappointed."

The cab jolted to a stop, ceasing any reply the Doctor might have had, as they had reached their destination.

"God… That's Margaret's home?" Merlin asked, eyes wide.

The Sheffield Manor was a large, imposing structure, more castle than house. They sky was beginning to darken, as it was late afternoon, but no lights were on in the windows.

"Befitting of an heiress, don't you think? Her father owns an electrical company, apparently."

"What exactly does that mean?"

The men got out of their cab and spotted Madame Vastra and Jenny waving to them from the front door.

"Basically, they generate electricity for whatever businesses will pay them to. They're not too big on electric lights now, but just wait; they're gonna be huge."

Merlin hummed in acquiescence, not entirely clear on what the Doctor meant, and they reached the lizard-woman and her maid at the top of the steps leading to a rather large door.

"Alright Doctor," said Vastra, "where do we start?"

"We should go to the dining room first, and the area surrounding that. If we don't find anything, we'll search the rest of the house."

"Um, Doctor?" mumbled Merlin.

"Yes?"

"Where are all the servants?"

Vastra looked at the house and frowned. "He's right; the place looks completely abandoned."

"It's like no one's lived here in weeks," commented Jenny, noting the dust that settled on the windows inside.

The Doctor smiled gleefully. "The plot thickens!" He pulled the creaking door open and courteously let the women in first, followed by Merlin, and then finally himself.

The interior was as dark as it seemed from the outside, with specks of dust visible in what little light there was.

"Does anyone see any lanterns?" the Doctor asked, squinting his eyes to adjust to the dark.

"There are some over there," Madame Vastra pointed to a table farther into the room, (though that itself wasn't very clear at all) where two rusted lanterns lay. "Honestly, humans have such poor eyesight."

"Yes, yes, lizard-people have night vision. No need to rub it in," said the Doctor crossly. He made his way over to the table, almost tripping over a rug, and gathered the lanterns in his arms.

"One for Jenny," he said, passing a lantern to the maid, "and one for me and Merlin."

"Doctor, these aren't lit…" Jenny said quietly, not wanting to criticize the alien.

He smiled suggestively and grinned at his companion, who, up until then, had been observing the house. "Merlin? If you don't mind?"

"What?" The warlock appeared surprised. "Doctor, are you sure?"

"Oh, we can trust them! Come on, it's cool!" The Doctor bounced in place like a giddy child. Vastra and Jenny shared a confused look. After a few moments of deliberating, Merlin raised his hand towards the lanterns and spoke.

"_Forbearnan!" _With a flash of gold in his eyes, two flames sprung to life in the lanterns. Jenny jumped back reflexively, but Vastra only looked at Merlin with wide eyes. Then the Silurian turned her gaze onto the Doctor, who raised an eyebrow as if to say, "I know, right?" But instead, the Timelord clapped Merlin on the shoulder with his free hand.

"Nicely done, Merlin."

"Thank you," he replied, looking much happier.

"Very interesting…" muttered Vastra. "Shall we get going then?"

"Ah, yes! Merlin and I will take the west side of the manor; you and Jenny take the east. Sound good?"

"Actually Doctor, I think it would be best if I went with you. Jenny and Merlin can go together."

The three of them stared at the Madam, confused.

"Ma'am?" asked Jenny.

"You don't mind, do you dear? It's just that the Doctor and I have _so much _catching up to do, we might as well do it now."

The maid nodded, suddenly understanding Vastra's intent. Jenny turned to Merlin. "Is it alright with you?"

"I suppose." Merlin looked at the Doctor and shrugged. "See you later, Doctor."

"Yes, be careful, alright? Jenny can take care of herself, but still… watch out."

"Will do." Jenny held the lantern in front of them as they disappeared into the east hallway.

As soon as he knew they were out of earshot, the Doctor faced Vastra. "What was that about?" he asked.

She shook her head like a scolding mother. "I knew you were an idiot, but this is too much."

"What?"

"I thought perhaps it was just coincidence for you to have a medieval companion named Merlin, but that little magic trick sealed the deal. That's the wizard from Arthurian legend, isn't he?"

Nervously, the Doctor scratched the back of his head. "Well… Technically, yes. Though his Camelot is far different from anything you may have read about." He started walking towards the west hallway, causing Vastra to follow him, asking him what he meant.

He spent their walk telling her all the details of he and Merlin's meeting, from the accidental landing to the dungeons, and finally, to their escape. Vastra listened patiently, though she did show signs of surprise as the Doctor explained Merlin's servant status and Arthur's princehood.

"That… is quite different from the stories," she exclaimed once he was finished.

"Told you."

"Does he know? I mean, have you told him about the legends?"

"… Not really… He just thinks I'm a bit weird. A good weird… I hope." The Doctor shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Anyway, could you keep this from him? I don't want to risk anything by telling him about the legends."

The lizard woman bowed her head. "Of course, Doctor. I just hope you're not changing anything already with this… as you called it, 'thank-you trip'."

"Yeah… Back to the matter at hand…"

The manor was especially spacious, appearing, ironically to the Doctor, bigger on the inside. The dim light from the lantern casted an eerie glow on whatever furniture was nearby. Even in his remarkably long life, the Doctor felt a shiver of fear run up his spine.

"Do you feel that?" he asked Vastra.

She nodded with narrowed eyes. "It's as if the air is electrically charged."

"As I suspected…" The Doctor stopped.

"Suspected?"

"According to Margaret's description, I had a suspicion as to what the mystery creature was… And this electrical discharge is more evidence."

A loud beeping sound caused them both to jump. Madame Vastra immediately looked to her wrist, where a black bracelet showed a flickering blue light.

"A wireless communication device in Victorian London?" The Doctor gave a low whistle. "Cool."

"You're just easy to impress, Doctor," Vastra smirked. She pushed the light on the bracelet, holding her wrist closer to her face. "Hello, Jenny?"

The maid's voice came in its gentle tone. "Yes, Ma'am. I think you and the Doctor should come here… Merlin and I found something."

The two of them looked at each other in surprise.

"Already?" pouted the Doctor. "We hadn't even opened any doors."

"You picked the wrong hallway," called Merlin's voice from the bracelet. Despite himself, the Doctor smiled.

"So it seems. Right, we're on our way." Vastra pushed another button, stopping the call. She looked up at the Doctor with a sort of smug smirk. "Shall we?"

* * *

They backtracked to the east side of the house to meet up with Jenny and Merlin. They found the pair standing outside a set of double doors, Merlin leaning casually against the wall. He stood up straight when he saw them approach.

The Doctor waved a friendly hand. "Hey! That was rather fast."

"We got the side where the dining room was," said Jenny. "This might've gone better if Miss Sheffield would have accompanied us."

"Can't force a lady to do anything," the Doctor shrugged. "So, what did you find?"

Merlin looked at Jenny, who nodded, and pushed the doors open. Vastra let out a quiet gasp of shock while the Doctor only raised a surprised eyebrow.

The dining room, which was covered in a layer of dust, was in a state of disrepair, with dishes and glass pieces strewn all over the floor. The table was just waiting to break under the pressure of the large crystal chandelier that had fallen on top of it. But, observing the state of the rest of the manor, the dining room's appearance was hardly shocking; no, the shocking thing in the room was the glowing blue door on the other side. It was as if someone merely stamped the door over the wall, as it covered the corner of a window, and it definitely looked out of place with the strange designs on its metal cover.

The Doctor was the first to enter the scene, stopping to observe the door. "These markings…" he murmured.

"Do you recognize them?" asked Merlin from behind him.

"Yes; and I gather these are the same markings Margaret saw on the creature…" He tapped his finger on the door, drawing everyone's attention to a particular symbol, which covered a large part of the door. It resembled lightning bolts surrounding a circle.

"What is it?"

"The Mark of the Kubori," he answered. "A very old, but primitive, race from the outer reaches of the Eighth Sector." He turned and saw Merlin's blank face. "That's quite a ways away. So far, in fact, it doesn't make sense to see their mark here…"

"Is that the reason the air is so strange?" asked Madame Vastra.

"Yes; the Kubori have a natural electric force field about them. Luckily, though, we know there's not a lot of them- otherwise we'd have been electrified the moment we stepped inside… I'd say five, at the very most."

Merlin stepped closer to observe the mark. "What are they doing here? Are they evil?"

The Doctor made a face at that. "I wouldn't put it so black-and-white. The Kubori, as far as I can remember, only engaged in fighting when the situation called for it. I just wonder what the situation could be…"

"Maybe their ship crashed here," commented Jenny by the window.

Vastra gave her maid an amused look. "What makes you think that, Jenny?"

She pointed out the window, prompting everyone to look outside.

The garden, or what remained of it, was now the temporary home of a large, metal ship that resembled a long tube with engines stuck on it.

"Yeah," muttered the Doctor, "that could be it."

* * *

**Okay, really want to know what you guys think! I'm personally quite proud of my made-up aliens.**


	4. Chapter 4

**WOO. The end of the 'Kuborian Arc' (as I have so cleverly named it) is approaching, dear readers! I wanted to hurry and move on to the next adventure, so I hope this doesn't appear rushed...**

* * *

"That… what is that?" Merlin was staring at the structure with wide eyes.

"That, dear Merlin, is trouble. Also known as a Kuborian spaceship."

"This is a good thing, isn't it?" Madame Vastra stepped away from the window and crossed her arms. "They've just crashed their ship. We'll help them repair it, and they'll leave. After all, you did say they weren't hostile, right, Doctor?"

"Right… But something feels wrong. I can't place my finger on it…"

Suddenly Merlin looked up. "What about the servants? We never got to the bottom of that."

The Doctor brightened considerably, patting Merlin proudly on the shoulder. "Atta boy! Right, what's a manor this large doing without all its servants? Look at the state of this place! Margaret said it's only been a week!"

"And Margaret," the servant boy added. "I don't think someone like her would sleep here, so where has she been staying?"

Vastra appeared alarmed at the mention of the heiress's name. "Miss Sheffield!"

Jenny caught on quickly. "We left her at the house!"

The four of them took a second before they all bolted off to the carriages outside, with only the Doctor looking back at the house.

* * *

Vastra ordered the carriages to hurry back to her home at their highest speed, anxious to see if Margaret Sheffield was truly suspicious. They jumped out of the carriages, with Jenny haphazardly tossing a few banknotes to the drivers, and rushed into the house.

What greeted them was certainly a surprise.

Upon entering the foyer, they found Margaret tied to a chair, her hair frizzed in different places, as if she'd been shocked. She wore an angry expression; true anger, not the brattish annoyance she displayed earlier. And next to her was a short, muscular man with brown skin and… a strange device in his hands.

"Strax!" Vastra exclaimed. "Whenever did you get back?"

"Just five minutes ago, Madame. And I found this boy scrabbling about in our basement. May I have permission to blast him?" The potato-looking creature, apparently named Strax, hefted his gun up with an expectant face.

"No, no, Strax, we need to interrogate her. Very nice work, though."

Strax lowered his gun with a sigh. Then he noticed the Doctor and Merlin standing behind Vastra.

"Doctor," he nodded.

"Strax. Good to see you."

"Who is this girl with you?" he asked, shooting Merlin a suspicious look, gun raised once more.

"Excuse me?" he replied, somewhat offended. The Doctor raised his arm in front of his companion, though he made no move towards the Sontaran.

"That's just Strax. Sontarans; they're not too good with human genders." He turned back to Strax with a grin. "This is Merlin, he's a friend of mine."

He frowned, disappointed. "Oh." He dropped the gun in frustration, almost hitting Margaret's foot (for which she gave him a furious glare). "Another one, then?"

"Apparently," Merlin answered caustically. The Doctor chuckled, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Yes, well… Miss Sheffield; care to explain yourself?"

The heiress, now noticing five pairs of eyes staring at her, huffed, blowing a frizzed strand of hair out of her face.

"I don't have to explain anything to you," she claimed. The Timelord rolled his eyes.

"I think you do. See, we went to your manor just now," she sat up at that, making him smile. "And we noticed something odd… No one's there. And no one's been there for a while. Especially not you."

"But what was there," stepped in Vastra, "was an alien spaceship. And when we come back, we find you snooping through my house?"

"I…" Margaret deflated. "I had no choice. I- I had to!"

"Had to what?" Merlin approached her, cautiously, and kneeled down to her level. "Margaret, are you alright?"

Tears threatened to spill out from Margaret's eyes as she looked down at the warlock. "They have my family… What was I supposed to do…?"

Merlin looked back at the Doctor, the both of them wearing concerned expressions.

Vastra sighed, noticing their concern. "Strax, untie her. She's agitated enough as it is."

"Very well," Strax complied, but noticeably grudgingly. The ropes fell to the floor with one swipe of Strax's knife, apparently hidden somewhere on his person.

Margaret rubbed her arms tentatively, happy for the relief from the ropes.

Vastra took a seat and glared keenly at Margaret. "Explain all this. And be truthful."

She sighed, looking guiltily at her hands, which rested folded in her lap.

"My family _was_ attacked…. And my parents were kidnapped. I wasn't lying about that. But at first, the aliens just made a mess in our backyard with their… space craft thing. We were shocked, of course, but Father decided to try and help them. So he tried using our new generators to power their craft, but it didn't work." She took a deep breath. "After a few days, they got impatient. They destroyed the house, kidnapped all the servants and imprisoned them in this strange, small box… Then they took my parents and told me to find the one thing that could power their ship."

"And that would be here?" asked Jenny skeptically.

"I tried other places! Other detectives I hired to find whatever it was kept coming up blank! Then I heard about you… When I found out you were an alien too, I knew you had to have it. I-I just…!"

"Calm down, Margaret," said the Doctor. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"A… A power source… Some sort of cube they can put in their craft." She reached into one of her dress's pockets and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper. Unfolding it, the paper beheld the image of a rectangular prism covered with the Mark of the Kubori. "They said it was the most important thing they needed…"

The Doctor took the image and held it up, observing the paper through the light. He handed it to Vastra with a questioning look. "Have you seen this before?"

The Silurian paused, searching her memory for the cube. "… No, I don't believe I have."

Margaret groaned, tossing her head back with a dramatic air. "Bloody fantastic! Now what am I supposed to do?!"

"Now Margaret, we'll help you find it, there's no need to panic…" The Doctor held up his hands, trying to reassure the frantic heiress. It didn't work.

"I've taken too long! They're going to kill my parents, and all the servants!" Margaret was sobbing now, black mascara mixing in with her tears. "All because I can't repair their stupid ship!"

Merlin frowned, sympathizing with the poor girl, when he suddenly noticed the Doctor's posture; the alien's shoulders were tensed, and his face was darkened with what the warlock could only describe as fury.

"No, they're not," said the Doctor. Vastra eyed him cautiously.

"What?" sniffed Margaret.

"I said no, they're not. Because we're going to save your parents, and get the Kubori off this planet." He moved forward, making Margaret flinch. "I promise you that."

"I…" She looked down at the floor. "How will you do that?"

The Doctor smirked. "Well, firstly, I know where to find the cube. Secondly," he turned from her and opened his arms in a grand gesture, "I've got the most effective gang in the universe, right here!"

"Gang?" asked Strax distastefully.

"Of course! A fierce Sontaran warrior," he nodded at Strax, who appeared pleased with that, "a prehistoric lizard woman and her fighting maid," he pointed to Vastra and Jenny, "and best of all, a wizard who can take them all with one breath!" His final gesture was to Merlin, who blushed sheepishly.

"I don't know about that, Doctor," he muttered. Margaret looked at him strangely.

"A… wizard?"

"So you see," continued the Timelord, ignoring her question, "there's nothing to be worried about! We'll get everyone you care about back, safe and sound. Okay?"

The heiress was in a stunned silence; she looked around at the five people standing around her.

"I… don't know if I can trust you, Doctor." She took a deep breath. "But you're the last hope I've got. Please, save them!"

He saluted her with a smile. "Will do, My Lady. Come on then, you lot," he turned on his heel, heading for the door. "We've got lives to save."

"As usual," murmured Vastra, catching Merlin's attention. He caught her smile as she too made for the doorway. It only took a second of contemplation before he followed after them.

* * *

They were back in the cabs, though Strax was driving one (the one that housed Vastra, Jenny, and now Margaret herself), and Merlin and the Doctor were riding together again.

"So…" started Merlin. "Do you really? Know where the cube is, I mean?"

"Well… I've got a general feeling. I've read about the cubes before, in obscure textbooks on other planets."

"A… feeling." Merlin looked unimpressed.

"What? It sounds more convincing when I'm sure."

"Right… So where would it be?"

The Doctor leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "That's just it, Merlin. It can't be anywhere. Not on Earth, certainly."

"But… They told Margaret to find it. Here, on Earth, right?"

"Let me explain; the cube is made of a material so charged with electricity that only a Kuborian could hold it. A human being can't even be within three miles of the thing without getting shocked. Don't you think that would attract some attention?"

Merlin considered that. "Alright, so it's not on Earth?"

"Not exactly."

"But you said-"

"A human can't be near it. In fact, a Kuborian is one of the only things in the universe that are compatible with that cube."

The conclusion reached the warlock. "A Kuborian has it?"

The Doctor tapped the point of his nose, though the motion was lost on Merlin.

"So why send Margaret out to find it, if one of them already has it?"

"They didn't send her to find the cube. They sent her to find the one who has it. Only she doesn't know that."

"I don't understand. Why would one of their own kind keep the one thing that could send them home from them?"

The Doctor half-smiled and leaned back, sighing as he did so. "Remember how I said the Kubori were a generally harmless race?"

"Yes?"

"That doesn't mean they don't have criminals. And like any other criminal you may have met, they are dangerous. Ruthless. So much so that they need to be escorted off the planet to an intergalactic prison."

"That's what they are? Prisoners?"

"Prisoners trying to get home, or at least anywhere else, to cause mayhem."

Merlin rubbed his forehead, trying to get all the new information down. "Then why not just stay on Earth? I mean, I wouldn't like them to, but…"

"They landed here when electricity hasn't even neared its peak; they wouldn't have enough power to keep themselves going, unlike their home planet, which generates electricity constantly. If they stay here any longer, they're likely to burn out and die. But not before they take some poor humans with them." The Doctor's gaze darkened again. Merlin wanted to point this out, but held his tongue.

"Okay." The warlock nodded. "So we have to find the Kuborian with the cube, who I'm assuming was one of their guards?"

"Right on the nose, my boy."

"Any idea where he'd be?"

"I told Strax the coordinates. We should be there-"

The cab jolted to a stop, sending Merlin back into the seats and the Doctor hurtling forward. Luckily, he stopped himself before he could smack into Merlin.

"… now," he finished lamely.

Their new destination was an old-looking building, not unlike Sheffield Manor in its ruin-like state. As soon as they stepped out, they felt the static in the air.

"Careful not to touch anything metal," the Doctor warned, stepping forwards. "It could give you more than just a shock."

He pushed the door open by the window, waiting for the creak of its hinges to stop before stepping into the darkness.

"Merlin?" he asked. A bright flame was dancing in the teenager's palm within seconds. Margaret gasped with shock, and Strax merely looked interested.

"That is quite handy, isn't it?" commented Vastra, winking at Merlin. He smiled back.

"Stay by me," said the Doctor. He began moving through the dark house, with Merlin holding his hand out in front of them, lighting to path.

"Do you know which way you're headed, Doctor?" asked Jenny, eyeing the building with apprehension.

"Wherever the electricity is strongest… This way." He ducked into a narrow corridor. The wallpaper, which was once fashionable, was now rotted and peeling off the concrete walls. The group stepped over bits of rubble and decay. The air became unbearably stuffy, as if it was tangible, and they were just trying to pass through it- a definite sign that they were getting closer.

Finally, the Doctor halted before a flight of stairs leading downwards into murky blackness. Merlin's flame couldn't even illuminate what was down there.

"This is it. The cube is behind that door," he said.

"What if it isn't?" asked Margaret, peering uncertainly over the stairs.

"I'm sure it is," he replied imploringly. "Right; it might be dangerous, so everyone be on your toes." The Doctor led them carefully down the stairs, each step making a violent creak. They reached a basement-like area, and the air had become so stale they could barely breathe it in.

Merlin spotted some candles mounted on the wall, and wasted no time in sending the flame to them to help brighten the room. Before the last candle was lit, they all stared in horror at what lay in the middle of the room, now visible to all.

A large, pale creature lay in a crumpled heap on its back, appearing lifeless. But its chest rose and fell slowly, indicating that it was, in fact, still alive. Like a dying light bulb, his skin appearing to flickering.

"Is that…?" Merlin started, but to his surprise, Margaret interrupted him.

"That's one of them," she murmured, eyes wide. "Oh my God…"

Vastra neared the Kuborian, slowly. "What happened to him, Doctor?"

"He's running out of energy to keep himself up. Unless he gets back in his ship or home, he's done for." The Doctor said all this solemnly, watching the Kuborian with pity. "But you won't head back for the ship… will you?"

Weakly, the Kuborian lifted his head to look the Doctor in the eyes. His reply came out in a pained groan. "Not while those scums live… We will all die here, if that's what it takes…"

The Doctor stepped forward. "Those scums plan on killing innocent humans before they die. They'll only spare them if they have the cube."

"You trust the words of criminals…? The humans are dead already."

"No!" Margaret gasped, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. The Kuborian looked at her.

"Was a loved one among those humans?" he asked, somber. "If so, I apologize… this would not have happened if I hadn't let my guard down…" He coughed suddenly, sending his body into a fit of violent tremors. He was getting weaker.

"But I just saw them, the last time I visited the house…" Margaret had her eyes shut. "They looked scared, but they told me everything was going to be okay…!"

"Margaret, your parents are not dead," said Merlin with determination.

"What makes you say that?" asked Strax?

"I can't be sure about the servants, but… They were using her parents as bargaining chips. They're the one thing they have over her to ensure that they'll get a cube." He looked directly at the Kuborian. "My experience with criminals may be limited, but are they really so stupid as to eliminate their leverage?"

The creature considered this. "Perhaps not… But, they were not kind to them… These criminals were so dangerously bloodthirsty we had to take them off of our own planet. I would not put so much stock into their intelligence."

"As long as they're alive, that's the most important thing. Please, just give us the cube."

"We won't let them leave the planet," promised the Doctor.

He remained silent, staring up at the decrepit ceiling. "They must never be allowed to roam the galaxy, do you understand me?"

"All too well," he said grimly.

With a grunt, the Kuborian moved his body away from his spot on the floor; he revealed a small hole, obviously dug with his long fingers, and the cube lying neatly within it. It couldn't have been bigger than the Doctor's palm.

"I've lowered the field so it couldn't be detected, but still… How will you carry it?" he asked, inspecting the Doctor's face.

The Timelord whipped out his sonic screwdriver from his jacket, walking over to the cube and pointing directly at it. It gave off a green light and a strange buzzing sound.

"There," he said, replacing the screwdriver in his pocket. "That should lower its electricity field long enough for us to bring it back to Sheffield Manor." He bent down to pick it up, and promptly stuffed in his jacket pocket.

The Kuborian let out a sigh, body collapsed entirely on the floor. "I hope you are more capable than you look…"

The Doctor made a face, but soon smiled anyway. "I am, I think."

"Then I leave their fate to you."

"Wait!" The Doctor kneeled down next to the alien. "Before we go, what's your name?"

He gave him a curious look.

"Wouldn't your planet like to know to name of the courageous Kuborian that stopped a ship full of prisoners?"

He managed a weak laugh. "Khrelar. My name is Khrelar."

"Good on you, Khrelar."

He did not reply- his chest stilled and the flickering stopped, signaling the end of his life. Vastra observed the body sadly, reaching for Jenny's hand. The maid complied easily. Strax looked away while Margaret merely stared, stunned by the events transpiring around her.

"Let's not make Khrelar die in vain," spoke the Doctor. "Off to Sheffield Manor."

* * *

Reaching the Manor took more time than they would have liked, being on the opposite ends of London. Once they reached the mansion, they bolted off to the backyard, where the ship was waiting.

Four more Kuborians stood in the yard, casting imposing shadows on the grass. Their bodies glowed faintly, like Khrelar's had. They whipped around to face the group, hearing their steps grow closer.

"What is this?" one of them seethed. "We asked you for the cube, not more humans?"

Margaret shrank to the back of the group. Merlin stepped in front of her.

"We've brought the cube!"

The Doctor pulled it out of his jacket and waved it tantalizingly. The criminals halted, not believing their eyes.

"So Guard Khrelar is dead," said one coolly.

"Yes."

"Good riddance, I say. Now give us the-!" The one speaking was moving forward, only to have the Doctor step back, the cube still in his hands.

"Ah, ah! Not until we see your hostages, safe and sound."

He made an annoyed noise, then snapped at one of the others to "Open the door!"

The wall of the house that faced them, which they all knew hosted the dining room, still had that strange blue door marked over it. One Kuborian used his long fingers to pry it open, causing two adults to fall unceremoniously out of it and onto the grass. They righted themselves quickly, looking scared and confused.

"Mother! Father!" Margaret rushed to their sides, drawing no interest from the Kuborians. Relief washed over the couple's face as they embraced their daughter.

"Margaret! Oh thank heavens you're alright!" her father exclaimed.

The lead Kuborian turned away with disgust and held out his hand to the Doctor. "Now?"

"What about the servants?"

He fished out a small box from behind the bushes and tossed it to the Doctor. Upon closer inspection, he saw the terrified faces of people trapped within it. It would be easy enough to get them out with the screwdriver.

"Some may be missing," the Kuborian snarled, a wicked smirk on his face.

The Doctor handed the box to Vastra, keeping his eyes trained on the criminals. He exuded disgust towards the prisoners.

"Now, hold on just a minute," he scolded. "You crash on this planet and have the gall to threaten people who were willing to help you?"

"They were useless," he growled.

"It's still very inconsiderate. So much so that I don't think I'll be giving you this. Who knows what other sort of "inconsiderate" things you may get up to once you leave Earth?"

This caused the Kuborians to laugh with spite. The leader sneered, looking down on the Doctor.

"And how will an ordinary human like you keep us from just taking it?"

"I never said I was human," he grinned. Still holding the cube, he brought the sonic screwdriver back out. "I'm a very clever alien. And I'm sorry, but you're not leaving this planet."

One of the Kuborians started coughing, much to the dismay of the others. The leader glared at the Doctor. "Human or not, I'd like to see you try and stop us!"

"Merlin," the Doctor beckoned, ignoring the criminal's threat. The warlock stepped next to him. "Any chance you could put a wall up around us? Make it thick."

Merlin looked confused, but nodded.

"Don't ignore us!" The Kuborian howled. Within seconds, he was charging at the Doctor and the others, intent on taking the cube by force.

"Now!" he yelled, and Merlin uttered a spell that caused the earth to curl up around each non-Kuborian minus the Doctor as the Timelord pressed a button on the screwdriver. It beeped, and suddenly a yellow wave emitted from the small cube.

The Kuborian, along with his group, fell to their knees, screeching in pain.

"Khrelar lowered the field to keep you from tracking it yourselves," said the Doctor calmly. "Even then, it was affecting us. But I lowered it even more, so it would become untraceable. This cube is the same material that powers your planet; what would happen if you absorbed too much energy?"

"You!" The leader screamed.

"If you hadn't threatened or killed anyone, it wouldn't have come to this," he said simply. "I would've just sent you to a prison, still alive."

The light was still pulsing from the cube, and every wave sent the Kuborians into more grotesque positions, trying to escape the pain.

At that moment, the Doctor looked on with pity. "I'm sorry."

They all let out a cry of fury, and then everything became quiet. They had disappeared, leaving nothing but trails of smoke in their wake. The Doctor dropped the cube with a small sigh. At the same time, the walls of earth protecting Merlin and the others fell, creating piles of dirt in the garden.

Everyone appeared shaken, though some more than others. Vastra and her company merely gave the Doctor a knowing look, while Margaret was preoccupied with her parents, and making sure they were alright.

But Merlin was staring at the Doctor, shocked. His wide blue eyes pierced accusingly into the Timelord's back.

"Vastra, the box," he muttered, not meeting his companion's stare. The Silurian handed it to him with nothing more than a concerned raise of the eyebrow and stepped back. He pointed his screwdriver at the box, and with a loud beep, the backyard was abruptly filled with confused and terrified servants.

"We should go now," he said, turning around. He nodded at Margaret, who sent him a thankful glance, but did not get up from her parents' side.

Vastra, Jenny, Strax, and Merlin all followed him quietly back to the cabs.

* * *

Merlin watched the Doctor closely during the ride back, though the alien would have no attempts at conversation succeed, much to Merlin's annoyance.

After a while, he sighed, reclining in his seat. "I'm not angry, you know."

Finally, the Doctor met his stare. "So what is it then? Disgust? Contempt?"

"Just… shock, mostly. I wasn't expecting you to be… well, that."

"I've lived for hundreds of years, Merlin," retorted the Doctor. "I've done far worse than that."

The warlock remained quiet. "… Were other people's lives at stake?"

"Sometimes it was whole planets… Entire races, even."

"I've seen people do far worse for much less," admitted Merlin. "I can't say I'm comfortable with it, but some things just have to be done."

He gave Merlin a pensive stare. "Have… have you ever killed someone?"

"… Yeah."

They didn't talk for the rest of the ride, but the tension had lessened significantly. When they finally reached Vastra's home, the Doctor held out his hand to stop Merlin from getting out.

"Just give me a minute?" he asked. Merlin nodded, allowing the alien to step out without him.

Strax, grumbling went inside the house, with Jenny promising to make tarts to cheer him up. Neither of them noticed their mistress fall behind to chat with the Doctor.

"So you're leaving now?" she asked expectantly.

"Yeah, well… I can't leave Merlin out of Camelot forever. I should probably get him home."

"Is he… alright, with everything that happened?"

He smiled. "Surprisingly, yes."

Vastra smiled as well. "He's a good lad. It wouldn't hurt to share just a few more adventures with him, would it?"

He blinked, startled at her suggestion. "But… the legends?"

"If his Camelot is so different, it shouldn't matter how things really happened; we already know that they didn't happen, correct?" When he didn't answer, she groaned. "Really Doctor, just accept the excuse and keep seeing the boy! You're obviously interested, and so is he."

"R-Right. Thank you, Vastra."

She nodded curtly. "Off you go, then. I'll pay the driver for you."

The Doctor and Vastra shared a quick handshake, and then turned away from each other, with Vastra returning to her simple crime-solving life, and the Doctor going back into the cab with Merlin.

"What was that about?" he asked the Timelord after he resettled in his seat.

"Oh, Vastra was just… telling me things. Lizard lady stuff, you know."

"Mmhm."

He gave the driver directions to the street closest to the alleyway where the TARDIS was parked.

"So, uh, Merlin…" he began awkwardly. "Ignoring the Kuborian prisoner scheme, did you… have fun?"

"It was all a bit overwhelming, but… Yeah. It was pretty fun."

"So… Would you like to, uh, do this again?"

He tilted his head in a questioning manner. "You mean the time-traveling bit or the fighting aliens one?"

"It's a little of both," he confessed. "If you're done with all that, it's fine, I just…"

"Hold on Doctor," Merlin laughed, "I didn't say no!"

"Really?" The Doctor perked up.

"Of course! Who in their right mind would turn down a time-traveler? Of course, we'll have to set a schedule so that Arthur doesn't start wondering why I keep wandering off…"

The Doctor, now beaming from ear-to-ear, laughed as well. "Don't you have any days off?"

"Are you kidding? At the most, Arthur lets me go home early every weekend. And that's only because he's tired from training."

"So every weekend, then?"

"Every weekend sounds good."

They smiled at each other and continued chatting until they reached their destination. The Doctor went on excitedly about how he would take Merlin to another planet the next time, and Merlin jokingly asked for somewhere dull instead.

* * *

The TARDIS faded in gradually, letting its wheezing sounds die out before Merlin and the Doctor exited the craft. Merlin looked around the location they had landed in amazement.

"This is Gaius's workshop!" he exclaimed. The Doctor scratched his head.

"Is it? I was aiming for the fields…"

"You're really going to have to work on this…"

"Merlin?"

Both men failed to notice the presence of a third person; namely, the Royal Physician, Gaius.

"Gaius!" shouted Merlin in a panicked voice.

The Doctor seemed only slightly disconcerted. "Oh, that's Gaius? Huh."

"What on Earth… How did you…?" The old man was at a loss for words.

"I, uh…"

The Doctor noticed the sounds of bells ringing not too far off. "I should probably get going now," he said. "Don't want to get caught again."

He stepped back into his box, turning his head to wink at Merlin. "Same time next week?"

The warlock managed a grin and nod, and the Doctor closed the blue doors behind him.

Gaius and Merlin watched as the TARDIS faded out of sight. The teenager turned back to Gaius with a sheepish look. Gaius crossed his arms, expecting an explanation.

"Alright, so…"

The wooden doors suddenly burst open, making the two of them jump, and revealing a very agitated Arthur.

"There you are!" he shouted to Merlin. "How did you get back from doing the laundry so quickly?"

"I, uh…"

He rolled his eyes. "Never mind that! You probably didn't do it anyway." Merlin frowned. "Anyway, the prisoner from earlier just escaped, and I need you to help me search the castle… He can't have gotten far."

Merlin blinked. "He just escaped? As in, just now?"

"That is what 'just escaped' means, you clotpole." The prince turned around and ran back out the doors. "Hurry up!" he called from around the corner.

"Uh, right!" Merlin stumbled after the blonde, sending Gaius an apologetic look. "I'll explain later!" he whispered, wincing as Arthur (once again) shouted for him to hurry. Gaius raised an eyebrow but allowed him to leave.

'Why does next week seem so far away now?' Merlin thought to himself, already exasperated.

* * *

**So Merlin is back in Camelot, and the Doctor's probably gonna warp to next week so he doesn't have to wait. Cheater.**

**Hope you enjoyed that little, uh, episode, I guess? Well, guess what? The next big arc shall feature... SOMEONE ELSE! Be it Who-verse or Merlin-verse, I'll let you guess. But there's a short story to get out of the way first.**

**Arthur is still gonna be a dick,**

**NajikaIce**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ergh. I don't like school.**

**This chapter is probably not the best as it could have been, but trust me, I'm super excited for the next part, so you guys should be too! **

**Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, keep 'em coming!**

* * *

A week had passed since Merlin's adventure in Victorian London, and it seemed the young warlock could never catch his breath. After giving up on the search for the escaped prisoner (as he was probably halfway across the galaxy, thought Merlin amusedly), Arthur dedicated all his time practicing for the upcoming jousting tournament, which Merlin had completely forgotten about. Except that Arthur planned to enter the tournament under a false name and a disguise, in order to win without getting the royal treatment.

The plan started out easy enough… Get a peasant to play the part of a nobleman, have Arthur hide out in Gwen's house… But, wouldn't you know it, an assassin had set his sights on the future king of Camelot.

It had been dealt with easily enough. Merlin used his magic, unbeknownst to Arthur, to help kill Myror the assassin, and in the end, everything was fine, like always. He noticed that Arthur and Gwen were acting much more shyly around each other, and that made him grin. Though, if he asked Arthur about it, he would get a punch in the shoulder and a change of subject.

Regardless, he collapsed on his bed with a sigh of relief, as the weekend had finally arrived. Merlin all but ran back to Gaius's workshop, eager to see if the Doctor would truly come back.

Gaius noticed his ward's attitude and stepped into his room. The physician had been skeptical when Merlin told him all about the Doctor and his TARDIS, and was especially wary when he was told he would be coming back. Merlin could understand that; Gaius was just concerned, that was all.

"Are you sure he's coming?" the old man asked, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

Merlin looked at him. "Truthfully, no. But it'd be nice if he did."

"I'm still not sure about you running off with some… what was it? Alien?"

"Timelord, specifically," said Merlin.

"Yes, yes… Anyway, what if something happens to you?"

"I can take care of myself, Gaius."

"I know that, but… You barely know this man."

He shrugged. "So I'll get to know him better."

Gaius groaned, frustrated, and turned back into his workshop. After a moment, Merlin got up and followed after the physician.

"Look, Gaius… I know you're concerned-"

"Yes, I am!" The man faced Merlin, wearing an angry expression. "Judging by what you've told me, this man is dangerous! And don't you face enough danger here?"

The teenager faltered, sensing the truth in his words. "I… Yes, but…"

Gaius frowned, waiting impatiently for Merlin's answer.

"I can't explain it," said Merlin at last. "I just… There's a lot of things about the Doctor that I don't understand. But I still feel like I can trust him. He's a good man."

Gaius held eye contact for a few more seconds before breaking it with a sigh. "You're digging your own grave, my boy…"

"You're acting like this is new," he replied cheekily. Gaius shot him an annoyed look, but he smiled nevertheless.

Suddenly, a draft scattered the papers on one of the tables, and a familiar wheezing sound drifted in the air, growing louder. Soon, the TARDIS's blue form materialized in the center of the physician's chambers. The Doctor poked his head out not a moment later.

"Ah! Look at that, got it on the first try!" He opened the door fully, but didn't stray far from his box. He looked from Merlin to Gaius. "Er, hello again."

"Yes, hello," replied Gaius warily. "I do hope you plan on picking those papers up."

"Oh, yes, of course!" The Doctor set to collecting the papers on the floor, which made Merlin chuckle.

"At least he's courteous," said Gaius.

The Doctor finished piling the papers together and placed a heavy book on top of them so that they wouldn't fly away again. "Right," he panted, facing to two of them again, "are you ready to go, Merlin?"

Merlin opened his mouth to answer, but stopped himself and looked at Gaius. The elderly man rolled his eyes.

"Oh alright, just go. Don't start crying if you get so much as a scratch, alright?"

"Thank you," Merlin whispered before grinning at the Doctor. He ran into the TARDIS, leaving the two old men outside.

"I'll, uh, take good care of him," said the Doctor, awkwardly shuffling his feet. He felt like a teenage boy confronting his girlfriend's father…

'That was a terrible analogy,' he thought afterwards.

"Make sure that you do. I was joking about the scratch, but… if anything happens to that boy…" he lowered his voice threateningly.

The Doctor eyed Gaius with amusement. "… You'll kill me?"

He shrugged. "Maybe worse. Well, you should get going. He's probably getting impatient."

The Doctor nodded, saluting Gaius and jumping back into the TARDIS without another word. It disappeared moments later, and Gaius was left to worry for Merlin's safety- because the boy clearly wasn't doing it himself.

* * *

"So," the Doctor turned around after pushing a few buttons on the control console, "what have you been up to, then?"

Merlin shrugged, staring into the cylindrical structure. "Oh, you know, the usual. Doing the laundry, changing bed sheets, making sure Arthur isn't assassinated…"

The Doctor quirked an eyebrow, stepping closer with a grin. "Assassination you say?"

"It wasn't as exciting as you'd think," he said, thinking back on it. He told the Doctor about Myror and the fake identity they'd created for the jousting tournament. The Doctor listened with rapt attention.

"Must have been exhausting," he commented, once Merlin had finished.

"At least it wasn't anything magical this time. And, well, it's no spaceship filled with Kuborians." Merlin pushed himself off of the railing and circled the large, glowing structure that was the time rotor.

"Hope you haven't gotten bored of Camelot because of me," said the Doctor sincerely. Merlin laughed.

"I'm never bored, Doctor. Tired, yes. Frustrated, yes. Scared out of my wits? Definitely yes. But never bored."

"Good."

"Where are we going, anyway?"

The Doctor faced him with a manic grin. "We've just arrived in the Eighth Sector!"

Merlin repeated the place's name in his head, wondering why it sounded so familiar. Finally, it hit him.

"Isn't that where the Kubori are from?"

"Yes, indeed! You see, after I dropped you off at home, I came straight to the Kubori's planet and told them what happened to their ship." The Doctor lowered his gaze. "And I told them about Guard Khrelar."

"Oh… So you told them everything, then? Including…" Merlin tried to avoid the subject of the prisoner's deaths, but the Doctor caught on easily enough.

"Yes, all that. They were quite understanding, really." The Timelord perked up again and snapped his fingers, opening the door. "But I also told them about my very brave wizard friend who helped me save the Earth. And they want to thank him personally."

Merlin, stunned, let out a breath of air that was meant to be a laugh. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I am! Now let's go!" The Doctor tugged on Merlin's jacket, pulling him out the door and into an entirely different planet.

"Whoa…" Merlin gasped.

The Eighth Sector was almost golden in color, and while the buildings weren't as tall as the castle back home, they were impressively built. Large spheres hung in the air, spread about as if in some sort of pattern. Every now and again, a bolt of electricity would surge through the spheres and end up at the tallest point Merlin could see; it was like a mountain that had been carved out so that people could dwell within it, except that it was filled with the pale, glowing creatures known as Kuborians.

"This is… Doctor, this is beautiful."

The Doctor merely smiled in return; he loved the reactions the most. He let the teenager gawk at the scenery for a while longer.

"Hold on…" Merlin started, suddenly sounding concerned. "I thought the Kubori were… electrically charged, or something? Are we safe here?"

"Oh, perfectly. The TARDIS has shield settings- I just tuned her into the electrical frequency of this planet and- voila! We're zap-proof." Adjusting his bowtie, the Doctor began walking. "Now, let's get to the mountain, shall we?"

Merlin quickly followed him, still taking in the sights. "… This reminds me of when I first came to Camelot."

The Doctor looked back as they ambled through the streets. No Kuborian paid them any special attention, oddly enough. "Really? How so?"

"Did I never say? I wasn't born in Camelot. I'm from Essetir, a neighboring kingdom."

"Oh?"

"I lived in a small village with my mother," he continued. "But, of course, I was beginning to stand out, so…"

"You went to Camelot," concluded the Doctor.

He nodded, smile full of nostalgia. "It all seemed so unreal. The castle was so large, and there were so many people. And so much noise, too."

"A small-time village boy coming to the big city, and finding out his destiny... Hah," the Doctor chuckled. "It sounds so basic, putting it like that."

Merlin laughed too. "I wasn't expecting anything to happen. I thought I was just going to be Gaius's apprentice."

"And then what? What were you going to do after that?"

He shrugged, looking away from a Kuborian shopkeeper waving trinkets at him. "I don't know. Go home, I suppose, and become the resident physician there. Of course, it's not going to happen now."

"Hmm," the alien hummed quietly. "So, how did you become Ki-… Prince Arthur's manservant, anyhow? I can't help but think it was unwillingly."

Merlin burst into laughter. "It certainly was! Long story short, it was the first time I saved his life. No one knew exactly how, except for Gaius of course, and King Uther made me his manservant as a reward." He went into more detail about Mary Collins and her disguise as Lady Helen, and how he stopped a dagger from flying right into Arthur's heart.

The Doctor scrunched his brow as Merlin finished his story. "That's some reward," he said sarcastically.

"I thought so too. But now…" he trailed off, a small smile hinting at his lips. "It was honestly the best thing that ever happened to me."

They continued towards the mountain in comfortable quietness. Occasionally waving a hello to the natives, they reached their destination within an hour.

"You couldn't have landed the TARDIS closer?" asked Merlin glibly.

"Oh, like you're not used to the exercise."

The duo walked up the first entrance they could find, and it lead to an impressively carved staircase going up. The Doctor looked at Merlin, and found the warlock giving him an almost disdainful look.

"What?" he shrugged. "They're just stairs."

* * *

Merlin had reached the top first, barely panting, as the Doctor wearily dragged his foot onto the last step.

"Ugh…" the alien groaned.

The warlock smirked proudly. "Just stairs, hm? Those thousands of years are starting to show, Doctor."

"Oh, so we're getting cheeky now, are we?"

The stairs had led them to a stone room adorned with wires and miniature orbs floating in the air. Three particular orbs were hovering over the wrinkled body of one Kuborian.

The creature faced them with a smile- or at least, what Merlin assumed was a smile. The Doctor quickly forgot about his tiredness and crossed the room, enveloping the old-looking Kuborian in an embrace.

"Hey there, Ruvator," he greeted.

"Honored Doctor," he bowed politely.

"I've brought my friend; the one who helped me." The Doctor gestured his arms towards Merlin, who came forward rather nervously.

Ruvator bowed, which shocked Merlin. The Kuborian rose again, the orbs around him whizzing in excitement, contrasting his slow movements.

"The Doctor has told me all about you, Honored Merlin. Thank you for stopping those fiends."

"I-It was nothing. Really," said Merlin. "The Doctor did most everything."

"But you helped make sure Guard…" He stopped for a moment, collecting himself. "Honored Khrelar's sacrifice was not in vain."

Merlin blushed and looked down at his feet- he certainly wasn't used to such flattery.

Ruvator smiled again. "Now, as for your reward…"

Immediately Merlin looked up. "Oh, no, you don't have to-!"

Ruvator ignored his protests, to the Doctor's amusement. "I've already asked Honored Doctor to give Honored Vastra, Jenny, and Strax their rewards… And, who was the other Honored, Doctor?"

"Margaret Sheffield," he answered, glancing sideways at Merlin. "Though she wasn't very happy to see me again."

Ruvator laughed, the sound hoarse. "Regardless…" He beckoned one very long finger to the orbs; one floated directly in front on him and split open. He reached inside and pulled out a small, black bracelet. "Here," Ruvator offered the band to Merlin.

The warlock accepted the gift hesitantly, holding it delicately between his fingers. "T-Thank you," he mumbled. The bracelet was very nice, to say the least. It felt like metal, though Merlin had never seen metal as dark as it was. A thin silver line was etched the Mark of the Kubori onto the band as a decoration. Merlin slipped it on his wrist, silently admiring the, as the Doctor would say, "cool" feeling it gave him.

The Doctor's grin nearly split his face in two. "Don't you want to know what it is? Go on, ask what it is!" He was bouncing in place.

"Erm… What is it?"

Before Ruvator could answer, the Doctor burst out in his place.

"It's an electrical field generator!" he clapped. "Right now, there's an electric pulse surrounding you as a protective barrier!"

Ruvator nodded solemnly. "Normally, it's something we give our people's protectors, like Honored Khrelar. It stops metallic or energy-based weapons from harming the wearer. The Doctor tells me you lead a rather dangerous life." The Kuborian bowed again. "May it help with whatever troubles you come across."

Merlin, surprised, looked between the Timelord and Ruvator. "I… Wow."

"I know," said the Doctor.

Ruvator straightened. "Please, feel free to enjoy the rest of your visit. Our people are in your debt, Honored Doctor and Merlin."

The warlock gave a humble smile, and the Doctor patted his companion on the back.

"All in a day's work, Ruvator," the Timelord replied, beaming.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent strolling, talking, and sightseeing for the two time travelers. Merlin couldn't remember the last time he felt so happy. He was smiling through everything, and the Doctor took notice.

"I know you just got a reward and everything, but wow, your face will get stuck like that sooner or later," he joked.

Merlin laughed at his own expense. "I just never realized how good it felt to be thanked. I'm fine with never taking credit for what I've done back home, but when it does happen…" he trailed off, smiling fondly at landscape of the Eighth Sector.

"It makes it feel worth it, right?" the Doctor finished. Merlin nodded. "I know the feeling."

"You mean even though you go through all that, no one ever really knows it's you?"

"Oh, there are the few people who know about me. There are people like you that I've traveled with. Then there are organizations like U.N.I.T and Torchwood… they're all right, I suppose. Sometimes, I land on a planet where I don't have to worry about people knowing who I am and what I do." The Timelord looked at his companion. "And it's enough with just them. They don't have to say thank you."

Merlin nodded again, absorbing the Doctor's words as they walked onwards, back to the TARDIS.

As the Doctor pulled open the wooden blue door, Merlin spoke up.

"You know, I'm glad I was right about you."

The Timelord looked back. "How do you mean?"

"Before we left, Gaius said it was best if I didn't trust you."

The Doctor's face fell, though it wasn't as if he'd never heard that before. Pretty much all of his companions had guardians that didn't like him. At first.

"But I told him you were a good man," Merlin continued, resolute. "I'm just happy I was right for once."

With a smile, he stepped into the TARDIS, leaving a stunned Timelord in his wake. The Doctor stood outside for a few moments before grinning.

The TARDIS took off minutes later, headed for Camelot once again.

* * *

Gaius looked up from his pacing as the TARDIS faded into his chambers. His papers were scattered everywhere (again), but he found it in himself to not care about that. As soon as Merlin walked out, he rushed to his ward and shouted his head off.

"Where have you been?!" the physician bellowed. Merlin recoiled, cringing, and the Doctor stuck his head out to see what the commotion was.

"Gaius! What's the matter?" Merlin asked, ears still throbbing.

"You've been gone for almost six hours!"

"Wha- Seriously?" Indeed, when the warlock looked out the window, the sun was barely rising over the hills. He faced the Doctor with a dumbfounded expression.

The Doctor chuckled nervously. "Well… I never said you would always get back on time."

Gaius frowned, but continued to address Merlin. "Arthur came in just a few minutes ago and asked where you were! And guess what I told him?"

"Gaius, no," Merlin's face was grave.

"Oh, so instead of him thinking you were in the tavern, you'd rather he know the truth? 'Oh, I'm sorry My Lord, your manservant is currently god-knows-where with the prisoner that escaped a week ago!'"

"You didn't have to say the tavern, though!" Merlin groaned, exasperated. The Doctor merely watched their exchange, amused. "What did Arthur want anyway?"

The physician sighed. He suddenly looked extremely concerned, and not just livid.

"It seems that someone has attacked the Lady Morgana. Set a flame in her room."

Merlin gasped, and the Doctor's eyes widened. The warlock turned back to the Timelord.

"Oh, no, go ahead," said the Doctor, understanding. "I'll see you later."

Without another word, the boy bolted out of the room. The Doctor bid an awkward goodbye to Gaius, who didn't even look the alien in the eye, and flew the TARDIS away.

But as the Doctor stared into the console, whirring lights and the droning of the cloister bells filling his mind, he began to wonder if maybe he could help Merlin for a change. It didn't take more than a few seconds. He pulled a lever and was back to Camelot as soon as he'd left it.

* * *

**HMHMMMM. So the Doctor's going to stick around? That can't possibly end well...**

**I don't know how many of you guys read my other story, The King's Secret, but you may have noticed that I gave Merlin a piece of jewelry there, too (it was a necklace). I don't know why, but I really love guys that wear jewelry. So, in this story, he gets a nifty space bracelet.**

**Next time: Merlin tries to hide the Doctor from Uther and Arthur, all the while struggling with the hardest decision he's had to make yet; should the Lady Morgana know the truth about him?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Man, I am just cranking this one out. I have been in such a Doctor-y mood, though.**

**This episode takes place directly in S02E03 of Merlin, The Nightmare Begins. With a... few divergences, of course.**

* * *

No one knew how the fire started. The thunderstorm the night before could have caused it, but predictably, King Uther saw magic. A sorcerer, he said, was the cause behind the fire in the Lady Morgana's chambers.

But the Lady Morgana did not think so. She feared it was she herself who started the fire; she feared she had magic. She confided this to Gaius, but the Royal Physician assured her it was nothing, just bad dreams on a stormy night. Unbeknownst to the both of them, Merlin had been eavesdropping.

It was a strange mix of emotions, hearing Morgana, the King's Ward, confess to having magic. But the very first thing he felt was… relief. Relief that he wasn't alone in Camelot anymore, that there was someone else going through what he did. And then Gaius went and told her it was just an accident. Merlin almost cursed his uncle, but he understood where he was coming from. She was practically Uther's daughter. God knew the King wouldn't take it well if she did turn out to have magic.

Still, it didn't stop the young warlock from trying to convince Gaius to tell her the truth.

"… It was magic. You know it was. And more importantly, so does she."

The physician remained hesitant. "Morgana knows nothing for certain."

"Which makes it even worse!" shouted Merlin. "She isn't sure what's happening to her and it's tearing her apart."

Impatient, Gaius put down his work tools. "What would you have me do?"

"Talk to her," he pleaded. "Tell her that she'll be okay, that her powers are nothing to fear."

Gaius made a face. "I can't, Merlin."

"Maybe I can."

"Absolutely not!"

"But I know what she's going through!" Merlin stood up indignantly.

"You can never reveal your secret, Merlin, to anyone!"

"Then…" he faltered. "Someone else then!"

"Magic is outlawed, have you forgotten that? Who could possibly talk to her about magic?"

"There are those who still practice it- what about the druids? They help people like her-!"

"It would be suicide, Merlin!" Gaius shouted. Merlin slowly sat back down.

"Then who can help her…?" he asked quietly.

"I will," replied Gaius, not looking at his ward. "Like I've always done."

"Then be honest with her, Gaius."

"What makes you certain you know better than me, anyway?"

"Because I know what she's going through; I've gone through it myself."

Gaius leveled the boy with a stern look. "Merlin, I don't know what it is that makes you constantly want to get into trouble. First you've got this- this Doctor character taking you to places I'm not even sure are real, and now you want to expose yourself to the King's Ward!" He was clearly both upset and furious- not a good combination, Merlin knew from experience. Gaius sighed. "Stay out of it, please."

Merlin nodded. He knew Gaius had the best intentions, but there was no way he could stay out of this one.

* * *

Well. He'd given her flowers, that was a start. Now he wasn't sure what to do, especially when she burst into Gaius's chambers, dressed in nothing but her nightgown, shouting hysterically for the physician. Gaius, unfortunately, was out to see the King, so Merlin was left entirely on his own with a half-naked frantic woman who might have had magic.

Even when he told her that Gaius would come back soon, he still felt the need to ask what was wrong. And she told him. She knew what was really going on; it was magic, and she was scared out of her mind.

Morgana begged Merlin to tell her that it was magic, so that she didn't have to keep thinking she was imagining it. Her desperate eyes, tear-stained cheeks, and the anxious way her gaze tore into him was almost too much to bear. Then Merlin recalled Gaius's warning.

"I…" he swallowed thickly. "I really wish there was something I could say."

Her face fell, devastated, and she backed out of the room, disbelief written all over her face. Merlin's heart collapsed as she ran out of the room, not stopping even when he called out her name.

Merlin fell onto a nearby chair, numb. What had he just done?

"What was that, eh?"

The warlock jumped and swiveled around in his seat to find the Doctor staring crossly at him, arms akimbo.

"Doctor?!" He stood up, not believing his eyes. "W-What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Just being nosy," the Doctor shrugged. "And I can't believe you! She was terrified, Merlin; why didn't you tell her anything?"

"B-… What the hell?!" Merlin asked again. "You just left yesterday!"

"I know. But I figured, why not, I'll stick around and try to help you for a change. And it seems like you need it. Who the hell told you to _not_ comfort a hysterical woman?"

Merlin shook his head, presumably to try and clear it. "She's… She's the King's Ward! How am I supposed to trust her with my magic?"

"Seriously?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow. "She's your friend, Merlin, you told me that! And you saw how scared she was!"

"Hold on, why are we discussing her right now?" asked Merlin, trying to veer off subject. "It's too dangerous for you to 'stick around' here, Doctor!"

"I've gotten out of worse. Now, tell me: what do you plan to do about the Lady Morgana?"

"…"

"I know you're planning something."

Merlin groaned, rubbing his temples. The Doctor wasn't going to let up. "I was going to find the druids. They help people like her."

"And you can't?"

"Will you stop with that? This is more complicated than me just telling Morgana the truth!"

The boy was clearly growing frustrated, so the Doctor threw up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. So, how are we going to find these druids?"

"We?"

"Hello, helping you for a change, remember that?" The Doctor knocked on Merlin's forehead, much to the warlock's annoyance. "I want to see what you go through, Merlin."

He stared at the Timelord for a long while, before sighing and running his hand down his face. "Fine, Doctor. But I'm telling you, you picked the wrong week."

"Duly noted."

"Well… I guess I should ask the Dragon for help… again." Merlin looked very unhappy with his own suggestion. "Don't suppose you'd want to meet him? He's not terribly fond of… people."

The Doctor considered it. On one hand, he was a giant, fire-breathing dragon, who, according to Merlin, was quite ornery. On the other hand, the Doctor had fought a giant alien Devil.

But, then again, he was a giant, fire-breathing, ornery dragon.

"You, uh, lead the way. I'll follow behind… I should probably stay out of sight, too."

"Oh look, a good idea."

"Shut up."

* * *

The Doctor followed Merlin down a corridor of stairs, leading to an ancient-looking cave. Merlin instructed him to stay hidden in the darkness until he was done talking to the Dragon.

As soon as Merlin stepped out, illuminated by his torch- the Doctor waiting obediently in the shadows- a huge, golden creature swooped down from the high ceilings of the cave and stopped on a perch directly in front of the warlock.

The Dragon waited for Merlin to begin.

"I need your help," he yelled, sending echoes into the cave. "Do you know where the druids are?"

"That depends," replied the Dragon, his voice cool and somewhat teasing. "First, you must tell me why you seek them."

Merlin, irritant, asked why that mattered, to which the Dragon replied, "It does to me." They kept going back and forth, Merlin desperately trying to hide Morgana's secret from the reptile, to no avail.

"I do know what this is about, Young Warlock," said the Dragon. "You seek the druids for the Witch, the Lady Morgana."

Merlin was offended. "She's not a witch! She's my friend!"

The Dragon narrowed his eyes, pure gold staring into Merlin's blue. "She cannot be trusted. It would be best if the Witch-!"

"Stop calling her that!" Merlin cried.

"- If the Witch did not know the true extent of her powers," he finished, unperturbed by Merlin's interruption.

The Doctor felt increasingly irritated with the beast. What the hell was his problem?

"She has a good heart!"

"You have failed to heed my warnings in the past, and with grave consequences." Merlin fell silent at that, provoking a smirk from the Dragon. "Do not try and help her, Young Warlock. It will not end well… For anyone."

"You're wrong," Merlin whispered harshly. "I know her."

"Which reminds me," the Dragon stretched out his wings in what Merlin assumed was the dragon version of a yawn. "It would also be for the best if you stopped seeing that Doctor."

Merlin nearly dropped his torch. "What? How did you-!"

"I can see you there, you know." The Dragon waved his head towards the cave. The Doctor walked out, a sour frown marring his face.

"Hello." The Doctor crossed his arms. "Do I know you?"

"Not at all," replied the Dragon.

Merlin frowned. "Then how did you know his name?"

"The Doctor is a figure spoken of by many a mortal over thousands of years- his name is written in the stars. You have quite a legacy, Lord of Time."

"Oh, great," the Doctor huffed. "A soothsayer reptile."

"This may be our only chance to meet, so I will warn you directly." The Dragon lowered his head to get as close as he could to the pair. "Stay away from the Young Warlock. You have no idea what you're doing to his destiny."

"What-?" asked Merlin, but the Doctor remained stoic.

"The destiny you set him on? Not that I'm that vain, but how do you know his destiny's not changing for the better with me around?"

"The prophecy must happen exactly as it was foretold!" boomed the Dragon, nostrils flaring. "You, Doctor, are preventing the rise of Albion!"

"History will get it wrong, anyway!" shouted the Timelord defiantly. Both Merlin and the Dragon gave him a strange look. He persevered. "In the future, no one knows exactly how Camelot rose, or fell, or if it even existed! And let me tell you, the stories never end well!"

The Dragon looked ready to roast the Doctor on the spot.

"But Merlin does become a legend, and so does Arthur! So no matter what path Merlin sets off on his destiny, things will remain the same to the rest of the world!"

"Doctor…" Merlin murmured, stunned. "Why didn't you tell me any of this…?"

The alien looked at him sadly. "I thought I was changing history by taking you out of Camelot; but, as it turns out, nothing really changes. The legends and myths all stay the same, no matter what actually happened. Historians," he finished with a mirthless chuckle. Then he turned to the Dragon, who was livid with anger. "So you see, instead of forcing Merlin to make enemies, which Morgana will become unless you let him help her, you should try and encourage him to do the right thing."

"Ignoring the Witch is the right thing to do!" he roared.

The Doctor turned his head to Merlin. "I dunno, Merlin. He seems irreconcilable to me. It's all up to you."

Merlin had stood there, absorbing the information the Doctor had just revealed. Of course the Doctor knew the future, he thought, cursing himself. If Merlin's destiny was as big as he was led to believe, why wouldn't the Doctor have heard about it? And if what he was saying was true… He was making the prophecy come true in worst possibly way.

"I will find the druids, with or without your help," Merlin finally answered the Dragon. "And I trust the Doctor far more than you right now. Come on, Doctor." Merlin turned on his heel, hearing the Doctor's strange shoes clack after him.

The Dragon let out another deafening roar, causing small stone to shake loose and fall in the expansive underground cave.

"You will regret this, Young Warlock!" were his parting words to the duo.

After they'd left the Dragon behind, the Doctor was the one to break the awkward silence.

"So. He was… pleasant."

"There used to be a time when I accepted his advice without question." Merlin stared straight ahead. "But now… It really does seem like he's just using me to fulfill his own desires."

"Right now I think his biggest priority is getting out of that cave."

"Yeah," Merlin chuckled hollowly. "And I promised to get him out." He abandoned his torch in the holder by the entrance to the cave's hallway. "Anyway, I don't want to think about him right now. What are these legends you spoke of?"

"Ooh, right." The Doctor wasn't sure if he wanted to tell everything to the warlock. But, well, he was scolding him for not being honest earlier. The Doctor could deal with being a liar, but he didn't like being a hypocrite.

"Hundreds of years from now, people will talk about the mythical kingdom of Camelot, ruled by a strong and courageous king: Arthur."

Merlin snorted, but didn't interrupt.

"And Arthur was a great king due to the advice of the wise old wizard, Merlin, who-!"

"Old?"

"Like I said, they get a lot wrong."

Merlin pouted. "But… They think I'm an old man?"

"If it's of any consolation, quite a few people believe that Arthur was an illegitimate child. He only had the right to the throne after he pulled the legendary sword Excalibur from a rock. Oh, and he marries Guinevere, who is typically a noble, but she has an affair with the knight Lancelot, which leads to Arthur's decline as he feels he can trust no one, and-!"

"Stop!" Merlin shouted. "Just… Stop. Christ, what were these people thinking?"

The Doctor shrugged. "The legends almost never match up with their inspirations."

They reached the top of the stairs and Merlin stopped walking. "So… What about Morgana in these legends? You said… you said she'd be my enemy?"

"Right… In most versions, Morgana is Arthur's half-sister by King Uther."

Merlin opened his mouth to say something, obviously disgusted, but chose not to.

"She was a powerful sorceress who would eventually cause Arthur's demise. She was also the one to expose Queen Guinevere's infidelity to Arthur."

The warlock stopped, steadying himself with one hand against the stone wall. His other hand held his forehead. "What the hell?" he asked flatly. "Are you serious?"

"I'm not kidding here, Merlin. I mean, I never really believed the legends in the first place; I once went to a reality where I was called Merlin, so I assumed they were about me. They usually are."

"Okay," Merlin interjected. "So what you're saying is, it doesn't matter how much you interfere with the prophecy, because history will get it wrong anyway?"

The Doctor nodded. "Right. That also means, if that whacking reptile of a fortune teller tells you to do something you don't like, don't do it. What does he know anyway?"

"He's lived for thousands of years. Longer than you, isn't that right?"

The Doctor lowered his head, frowning.

"But I'm not disagreeing with you," reassured the boy. "He's said some… messed up things in the past, and the last thing I wanted to do was trust him. So, alright. Let's find the druids."

Perking up, the Doctor smiled and clapped his hands together. "Great! Any idea where they might be?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Oh."

"But the King has Arthur after anyone even suspected of associating with them. We could try and get to one of them before he does."

The Doctor paused. He rubbed his chin, thinking. "Druids… Do they live in these charming little campsites?"

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Uh… Yeah. How did you…?"

"I think I might have seen something like that when I landed the TARDIS- parked her in a forest nearby, just in case Gaius saw her and had a heart attack."

"Just… In the forest? In plain sight?"

"She's got a camouflage mode," the Doctor waved aside the issue. "How about I go and check, and if I've found them, I'll come back and tell you where they are?" Then he abruptly looked worried. "Oh, but they might not like a stranger wandering in and asking who they are."

Merlin gave him a lopsided grin. "Just tell them Emrys sent you. That should help."

"Emrys?" the Doctor repeated quizzically. "If you say so. Guess I'll find out if that works or not."

The Timelord began to walk past Merlin, bidding him a 'see you later' as he disappeared up the stairs and out of his sight.

* * *

Merlin continued absentmindedly cleaning Arthur's chainmail, mind too far away to be focused on his mundane task. The Doctor had left last night, and it was now midday, but he had not heard back from the Timelord. Then again, in the daytime, the castle was bustling, and the Doctor's face was not one anyone was likely to forget- he'd be arrested on the spot.

He put Arthur's chainmail back in its place and sighed. Earlier, Arthur and Leon were discussing the suspected sorcerers, and Merlin was so tempted to take a peek at the list. He stopped himself, assured that the Doctor would find the druids on his own… But now, he wasn't so certain. Oh, and Arthur thought he was in love with Morgana. That was great.

Now the Prince was out arresting innocent people, and though it wasn't his fault, Merlin felt responsible. He had to keep hiding while his kind was persecuted unfairly. He dared not let his mind stray to Uther Pendragon, lest his rage get the better of him.

Merlin walked slowly in an empty corridor, on his way back to the physician's chambers, when a tweed-covered arm came out of nowhere and pulled him into an alcove. He found himself nose-to-nose with the Doctor.

"I found them!" he whispered excitedly.

"God, Doctor, what are you-…" Realization dawned upon the warlock. "You found them?!"

"Yes! And the 'Emrys' thing did work, amazingly. They said, and I quote…" The Doctor cleared his throat, lowering it to imitate a druid he had presumably met. "'It would be a great honor to help any friend of Emrys.'"

"How much did you tell them?"

"Just that Emrys sent me, and that he has a friend who needs the druids' help. Don't worry; they're totally all for it." The Doctor poked his head out of the alcove to check if the coast was clear. "Now, when am I supposed to bring Morgana to them?"

Merlin merely stared at his friend, smiling in astounded disbelief. "I… I was thinking tonight. As soon as I can, I'll get her to meet you at the Northern Gate."

"Northern Gate," the Doctor repeated, nodding. "Got it. I'll meet you there…" He let go of Merlin's arm, but the warlock stayed in place, concern evident on his pale features.

"You're not taking her in the TARDIS, are you?" he asked.

The Doctor blinked slowly. "Well, yeah. It'd be faster that way."

Merlin groaned. "Doctor, she's got enough to deal with, what with her magic and nightmares. She doesn't need to find out about aliens in the same sitting!"

"Right; too overwhelming. Guess we'll be walking, then." The alien's expression was a childish pout. "It'll take a while, though."

"Oh, get over it, you big baby."

"Oi!"

Merlin laughed, ducking out of the alcove in a much happier mood than when the Doctor pulled him in. The Doctor, meanwhile, watched Merlin's retreating figure and, in spite of himself, grinned.

Now he simply had to wait till nightfall.

* * *

**Woo. I really liked writing the exchange between the Doctor and Kilgharrah (whose name they don't know yet, so that's why he's called the Dragon). Now Merlin knows about the legends and will probably go to the Doctor for advice from now on... And we all know Kilgharrah won't like that.**

**Quick aside: WHO ELSE FUCKING FLIPPED WHEN THEY SAW JOHN HURT AS THE DOCTOR. JESUS.**

**Ahem. Next Chapter: Morgana is taken to the druids, but as the Prince and his men approach their camp to take back the "kidnapped" Lady, will Merlin and the Doctor be able to save everyone?**


	7. Chapter 7

**It just keeps coming out, man. This is the longest chapter I've written... of anything, I think.**

**Anyway, onward to the conclusion of the ark!**

* * *

Two figures snuck their way past the inept guards of Camelot, one shrouded in a dark red cloak that billowed behind them. The other was dressed very simply, easily observed to be a servant. They reached the edge of the castle's walls, where the Northern Gate could be spotted not a few feet away.

"Merlin, are you sure about this?" the woman in red, the Lady Morgana, asked nervously.

Merlin gave her a reassuring grin, which in normal circumstances, would have worked. "The druids can help you, Morgana."

"I know, but… You're risking a lot by helping me." Her eyes, though frightened, glimmered with admiration of the simple serving boy. He looked away, fighting the blush creeping to his cheeks.

"You're my friend; of course I want to help."

He checked to see if there were any guards encumbering their path, but found none. Instead, a very familiar man in strange clothes was teetering back and forth on his heels, hands clasped behind his back- the Doctor. Merlin almost chuckled at the childlike display from a man who claimed to be centuries old.

Morgana peered over his shoulder and saw him. Her mouth fell open in shock. "Th-That's the prisoner from last week! The one that escaped!" She almost turned to run, but Merlin grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"Morgana-…Morgana!"

The Lady slowly stopped struggling, but it was obvious to the warlock that she was scared. "What is _he_ doing here?" she asked fearfully.

"His name is the Doctor," explained Merlin, "and he's my friend. He'll help you get to the druids."

"Your... friend?" Comprehension dawned on her, and Merlin braced himself for the oncoming accusation. "You helped him escape!"

"Yes, because I know he's a good man, and you can trust him, Morgana." He kept glancing around; they had to hurry, or else they would get caught.

She still looked unsure, as she gripped her cloak tighter around her petite frame. "… Do you trust him, Merlin?"

He looked her dead in the eye, burning blue to dazzling green, and with no hesitation, spoke. "With my life."

Morgana took these words to heart, nodding. "Then… alright. Take me to him."

They walked the rest of the way, finally catching the Doctor's attention. The alien whipped around and smiled brightly.

"There you are! I was beginning to wonder if I got the wrong gate." He clapped Merlin on the shoulder and bowed to the Lady Morgana. "My Lady," he beamed.

She gave back a hesitant, hardly proper excuse for curtsy. "Doctor… is it?"

"That's me!"

"Merlin says you'll take me to the druids."

"Yes ma'am. Don't worry, you'll be perfectly safe."

"Merlin has assured me of that," she replied, though she still sounded skeptical. Merlin couldn't blame her. At first glance, the Doctor was very… odd. And this was a life-threatening situation they were dealing with.

"Good! Then we should get going!" He offered an arm to the Lady, but she merely walked passed him, sparing Merlin a final glance before pulling her red hood closer to her face. The Doctor looked at Merlin, who shrugged, and jogged after her.

Merlin watched them go, anxieties growing in his chest, making him feel unbearably heavy.

'They'll be fine,' he thought to himself, walking back to his room, making sure he was unseen. 'She'll be fine…'

* * *

The Doctor hated camping. In theory, he should have loved it: clear night skies, the freshness of nature, and no busy lights and noises everywhere. But as he poked distractedly at the small fire he shared with the Lady Morgana, he found that camping was not all it was cracked up to be. He vaguely remembered Amy asking him to go camping with her and Rory (an idea that the nurse himself did not seem pleased with), and that might've been better than this. Surrounded by good friends and comforts like tents and sleeping bags… Sleeping bags were cool.

Now he was sitting on a log next to a woman who kept glancing at him suspiciously, which quite frankly made him both annoyed and uncomfortable.

"How does Merlin know you?" she finally asked the question that had been on her mind for hours. The Doctor looked up from the fire and into her determined face. Strange, he thought, she was so frightened not too long ago.

He tried to answer and vaguely as possible, to avoid exposing Merlin's secret. "He helped me escape from the dungeons, simple as that."

She didn't appear convinced. "That's it? He meets you once and suddenly he trusts you with his life?"

"It's complicated," he replied. "But basically I took him on a thank-you trip and… he just kept helping me out. He's a good lad, that Merlin."

Morgana's face softened. "He is," she whispered, mostly to herself.

The Doctor examined her, intrigued by her sudden shift in mood. "Enough about me, though. Merlin obviously cares an awful lot about you, seeing as he's gone this far to help you." He was satisfied to see a faint pink tinge her cheeks.

"He's… a good friend. Very loyal, especially to Arthur."

"Yeah, but still. Something like this… Keeping such a big secret from Arthur must be taxing on the both of you."

"Secret?" she said, alarmed. "He told you?" Her tone was accusatory.

Crap. The Doctor quickly backtracked. "I put two and two together. Merlin helped me, a sorcerer, escape, so why else would he bring the King's Ward to me and ask me to take her to the druids? Unless the King's Ward had magic."

Morgana inhaled quickly at the 'm' word, looking away. "I just can't believe it… Why me?"

"The universe is a very strange place, Morgana," he murmured. "We can't explain everything that happens, though we try."

"I just hope the druids can help me understand this… I feel so alone in Camelot."

'Except you're not, you've got Merlin,' said the Timelord in his head. How could Merlin not see how pointless this all was? He could just tell her the truth and she wouldn't be lonely or afraid anymore. But, it wasn't the Doctor's place to judge. Merlin was only trying to help, but his secret was one of his most sacred things.

"They'll help," he said instead. "They assured me of that."

"Thank you, Doctor." She didn't look at him, but a small smile was visible to him through the canopy of darkness, lit by the fire. He chuckled. She was very pretty, and earnest; he could see why Merlin began to fall for her, even if the warlock wouldn't admit it to anyone.

"You'd better get some sleep. I'll keep watch. At this rate, we'll reach their camp by dawn."

"Alright," she answered. She lay down on the forest floor and quickly dropped off. She moved quite a bit in her sleep, and the Doctor recalled hearing Merlin say something about nightmares. Poor girl.

The next day, as the sun peeked through the trees, they found them. The same camp the Doctor had encountered before welcomed him and his guest. Morgana was stunned by the outright friendliness they showed her, the King's Ward.

The man the Doctor had met with, a dark-skinned druid by the name of Aglain, led them to a cozy little tent and sat down with them.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Doctor," Aglain smiled. The Doctor returned the gesture, as he quite liked the polite man. "And it is an honor to meet the beautiful Lady Morgana." He bowed his head in respect, to which Morgana embarrassedly blushed.

"Thank you for letting her come here," the Doctor spoke. "I realize this probably isn't an ideal situation for either of you…"

"Any friend of Emrys is a friend of ours," Aglain responded. Morgana raised a brow.

"Emrys? Who is that?"

Aglain looked at her oddly, as if he was expecting her to know all about Emrys. He turned to the Doctor, who quickly shook his head.

"Ah… It is nothing, just a simple saying between the druids. Anyway, there is actually someone who wishes to meet you, Morgana."

"Really? Who?"

As if cued, the tent opened and a small boy stepped inside. The Doctor remembered seeing him among the druids when he first came to the camp. Skinny, pale, with shaggy dark hair and a green cloak that covered most of his figure. And disturbingly icy blue eyes. When he mentioned Emrys, that boy in particular seemed affected…

"You…!" Morgana gasped. She knew the boy.

"Mordred has been waiting to see you again." Aglain got up. "We'll leave the two of you to catch up. Doctor? May I have a word?"

The Doctor sat, rooted in place the moment he heard Aglain identify the boy. _That _was Mordred? Arthur's Bane, the alleged killer of the king? He… He was a child!

"Doctor?" Aglain repeated. Mordred stared back at the Doctor with confused eyes.

"Oh, right, sorry!" He quickly stood and followed Aglain out of the tent, leaving a very happy-looking Morgana with the legendary villain.

"This keeps getting weirder," he whispered, but Aglain thankfully didn't hear him.

"Why does Morgana not know about Emrys?" he asked.

"It's a long story, but basically, uh, Emrys couldn't reveal his true identity to her… She doesn't even know he has magic."

Aglain nodded gently. "Yes; Mordred told us all about Emrys. So he really does work for Arthur as a servant?"

"Yeah. How does the boy… Er, Mordred, know him?"

"A while ago, many months back, Mordred found himself trapped in Camelot with the King's men encroaching on him. He escaped thanks to Emrys, Morgana, her maid, and even Arthur. Unfortunately, his guardian Cerdan was not so lucky…" Aglain trailed off, sadness apparent in his voice.

"I see…" The Doctor wondered if Merlin knew about Mordred and his destiny. How could such a small child end up killing Arthur? Surely he wouldn't have believed it… Unless that damned dragon told him so... He looked back at the tent.

* * *

Morgana could not believe how happy she was feeling. The druids were a warm and happy people, readily accepting her as one of their own. She was glad to have trusted the Doctor, as he led her to these amazing people. To top it all off, the boy she and Merlin saved together was there! She had finally learned his name… Mordred.

"Now I can take care of you, like you did me," said Mordred, quietly but happily.

"Yes," she laughed. "Though I'm afraid I don't have any injuries to tend to."

"I never got to say thank you for that."

"It wasn't just me. Gwen helped me care for you, remember?"

He smiled, indeed remembering Morgana's kind-hearted maidservant.

"And Merlin brought you to me," her voice softened. She reached out and touched Mordred's arm.

"I owe my life to him," said Mordred solemnly. "And to Arthur."

Morgana looked at him, her gaze full of adoration. They sat together contentedly until the boy spoke again.

"That man… the Doctor. Who is he?"

"Oh, he's a friend of Merlin's." Mordred looked unexpectedly shocked at this revelation. "He's a sorcerer, and Merlin says we can trust him."

"But…" Mordred turned his head and lifted the tent's flap, where they could both see the Doctor chatting with a few of the druids. "I don't sense any magic from him."

"You can sense that?" she asked.

"Yes; I can feel everyone's magic. Even yours, though it's small right now." He frowned. "But that man has none."

"That's… impossible. He has to be a sorcerer. He magically appeared out of nowhere in the middle of Court!"

The boy didn't answer back to her. He kept his eyes trained on the Doctor. "If Emrys trusts him…" he muttered.

"Who is this Emrys I keep hearing about?" Morgana inquired, trying to get their minds off of the Doctor. Mordred turned back to her, letting the tent fall closed again.

"He's a legend. Ancient prophecies say he's the most powerful warlock to ever walk the earth, and that he will bring magic back to the land."

Morgana was surprised. "I don't know anyone like that. Why did Aglain call the Doctor and I his friends?"

"All sorcerers are friends of Emrys. Or perhaps you've met him and you haven't realized it," Mordred said cryptically.

Aglain entered then, ending their conversation. "I'm sorry to interrupt," he bowed. "Morgana, I'd like you to walk with me."

She followed the older man out, giving Mordred one last smile before leaving the tent. Suddenly she was handed a plain burgundy cloth. She looked curiously at Aglain.

"A gift. To make you feel more at home."

Morgana smiled graciously and accepting the robes, pulling the fabric over her shoulders. "Thank you."

"My pleasure. Now, about those questions you have…"

* * *

Damn it. Damn it, damn it, _damn it_! He should have seen this coming!

Merlin raced through the forest, carrying little more than bag hastily stuffed with provisions. It was pointless, though, as he had barely slept at all or paused to rest once he found out.

King Uther had declared Morgana missing when she failed to show up in the morning for breakfast. Search parties were sent out, and everyone believed she was kidnapped. To make matters worse, Uther declared that all the arrested suspects would be executed unless Morgana was safely returned.

Merlin cursed his stupidity. It was only a matter of time before Arthur picked up on the Doctor and Morgana's trail, and finding their campfires would lead him directly to the druids. Now Merlin had not only endangered her, but several other lives as well.

He saw the brightly colored tents of the druids not too far off, and despite the aching pain in his legs, he spurred on, faster than before. Then, he saw her. Morgana, dressed in a plain druid's robe, but still as beautiful as ever. A happy smile was on her face as she spoke with a dark-skinned druid. Merlin's heart fell. She looked so peaceful now, and he had to take her away. And he told her to go there in the first place!

He was ready to run straight to her, but he crashed into another familiar figure instead. He and the Doctor fell to the ground in a heap.

"Merlin! What are you doing here? I was just about to go back and tell you she's fine." The Doctor helped Merlin stand up, noting the dark circles under his eyes. "God, you look awful. What's wrong?"

"Uther…" Merlin panted. "He thinks… Morgana's been kidnapped… He's sent Arthur out to find her- he's ordered him to kill whoever kidnapped her!"

The Doctor's eyes widened, understanding the severity of the situation. "What do you want me to do?" he asked seriously.

"Tell everyone to start packing up- Arthur could be here any minute now. The whole camp needs to leave, and Morgana has to come back!"

"Merlin… She's happier with these people. Are you sure?"

"It was stupid of me to tell her to come here… Christ, I should have just told her the truth!"

The Doctor saw the desperation and anger on Merlin's face. "You still can," he said quietly.

"What?"

The Doctor gestured to an orange tent behind Merlin. The warlock looked at it, knowing Morgana was inside.

"Tell her now, and she won't hesitate in going back to Camelot with you. Not when she knows she has a friend who understands her there."

"Doctor, I…"

"Tell her, or I will!" the Doctor declared petulantly. Merlin stopped for a few seconds before he sped off in the direction of the tent. The Doctor smirked, and then turned around to warn the druids of Arthur and his men.

Merlin burst through the tent, scaring Morgana into screaming. She stopped abruptly when she realized who it was.

"Merlin?" she asked incredulously. "What are you-!"

"I've come to take you back, Morgana," he panted.

She stared at him for a moment before frowning. "Then I'm afraid you've had a wasted journey. I'm never going back."

"Please," he begged.

"You're the one who told me to come here in the first place!"

"I never realized what the repercussions might be!"

"What repercussions?"

"Uther thinks you've been kidnapped!"

And at once, her demeanor changed. Her face became stained with concern and fear. Merlin went on.

"He won't stop until you've been found- he's going to execute everyone he thinks is even remotely suspicious."

"I…" Morgana let out a short cry, throwing her face into her hands. "I'm sorry! I can't, Merlin!" She stared into his eyes, haunting him. "These people… they understand me, accept me. I'm not so alone here. Don't you understand that?"

Yelling was heard outside- both young adults turned their heads in the direction of the yelling. It was Aglain, ordering everyone to pack up to leave.

The Doctor entered the tent, accompanied by Mordred.

Merlin gaped at the boy. "Mordred," he whispered.

'Hello, Emrys,' he replied telepathically. It was clear neither Morgana nor the Doctor had heard him.

"Come on Merlin, hurry up! They've just spotted Arthur's men coming over the hill!"

"Just- Just a minute!"

The Doctor sighed and ran back outside to help finish packing up. Mordred lingered in the doorway.

"I'm sorry Merlin, but I can't go back to a place where no one understands me," Morgana said resolutely.

"Camelot does have people who understand you!" Merlin said back. "Gaius, for example-!"

"Gaius refuses to believe I have magic-!"

"And me!" he shouted. Morgana was silenced, and Mordred watched on with keen interest.

"Merlin… You're a good friend, but you can't possibly understand what's been happening to me."

"I do! Better than anyone! Morgana," he took a deep breath, exhaling. "I have magic."

Before she could show any form of doubt, Merlin spoke old, foreign words into his palm. "_Forbearnan!"_

Merlin and Mordred both expected the flame to be there in his palm, dancing wildly over his skin but not harming him, but Morgana did not. She gasped, jumping backwards.

"Y-You…" she stuttered.

"I should have told you that first night," he said sadly. "If I had just helped you then, no one would have been in danger."

She blinked rapidly, trying to keep tears of disbelief from spilling over. It appeared as though she remembered something. "Back when the water was poisoned…" she recalled, bringing memories of Nimueh and the incident flooding back to the warlock. "You confessed to having sorcery… And I just thought you were in love with Gwen!" A hysterical laugh bubbled out from her throat, drawing concern from both of the boys. Suddenly she became angry. "All this time, and you never once thought to trust me? Who else knows?"

"Just Gaius!" he quickly defended himself, extinguishing the flame by closing his palm. "And, well, there's also Lancelot… And Mordred knows, too."

Her attention swiveled to the child, who flinched. "Is that true?"

"… Yes." He shuffled uncomfortably.

Screams were heard from outside, as well as the stampeding noise of horses.

The Doctor's head was in the entrance. "Come on!" he shouted, and he disappeared just as quickly. Mordred spoke to Merlin.

"Emrys, you must take her away from here!"

Morgana gawked. "_Emrys?" _she asked, fully glaring at Merlin.

He winced. "I promise, I'll explain everything in detail when we get back to Camelot!"

She pursed her lips, and Merlin feared rejection. "You'd better," she finally gave in. Merlin felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders, but he knew there was no time to rejoice. They all left the tent and found most of the druids running into the valley, where they would be safe from the oncoming search party. The Doctor ran up to them.

"Aglain is leading them to safety," he told them. "What are we going to do?"

Merlin knelt to eye level with Mordred. "You have to go with them, Mordred, it's too dangerous to stay behind."

"I understand." The druid boy nodded a goodbye, but could not leave immediately before Morgana pulled him into a hug.

"Stay safe," she whispered.

"You too," he said back. She let go of him and he was off to rejoin his people yet again.

"Now, as for Arthur…" Merlin faced the direction he knew they'd be coming from. "He can't stop at just finding Morgana. Uther will have him hunt down every last druid he thinks was involved."

Morgana unconsciously slipped her hand into Merlin's, gripping it with fear. He blushed, but did not mention it to her.

A light bulb lit itself in the Doctor's head. "What if she wasn't kidnapped by druids after all?"

The two magic-users regarded him quizzically.

"I've got an idea."

* * *

Arthur and his men approached the camp carefully, frustrated to find it abandoned, with baskets of food lying forgotten on the ground and tents hastily torn down but never packed. Arthur ordered the knights to scour every last inch of the place, just in case. They found nothing, no sign of Morgana ever being there.

He didn't want to hunt down the druids. He knew them to be peaceful. It just didn't seem likely that they kidnapped Morgana…

The troupe walked on, waiting for any indication of the Lady's presence.

"Hello!"

Nearly everyone jumped, holding up their weapons and pointing them at the source of the noise. Arthur, too, grabbed his sword, only to find himself staring into the face of the prisoner that escaped over a week ago.

"You," he seethed, charging forwards.

"Ah, ah, ah!" the Doctor grinned infuriatingly. He reached behind a tree and pulled out Morgana, looking frightened and unsure. Arthur halted immediately, as did the rest of the knights.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver (which Arthur mistakenly thought was a weapon) and pointed it at Morgana.

"Nice to see you again, My Lord," the Doctor said mockingly.

"Let. Her. Go."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so hasty, Arthur. Wouldn't want you to end up like your serving boy," the Doctor tilted his head downwards, and Arthur was suddenly gaping at Merlin's slumped figure. The servant appeared unconscious, or worse, Arthur feared.

"He's alive, don't worry. Amazing that he found me before you did, though. There's plenty of initiative in that one."

Arthur understood instantly. "You kidnapped Morgana?" he snapped. "Why?"

"Just wanted to rough up the King a bit, as payback. I wasn't going to hurt her or anything."

"Let her go," he repeated, more desperate this time.

"I will. Just promise me you'll give me a head start."

Arthur scoffed, and the other knights chuckled. Did this man, sorcerer or not, seriously believe he could outrun them?

"Alright."

The Doctor released Morgana, who ran straight to Arthur and began sobbing. He held her comfortingly, and watched amusedly as the Doctor bounded away.

Then he remembered. "Merlin!" He let Morgana fall into the care of Leon as he ran to tend to his manservant.

"Ngh…" Merlin groaned and groggily opened his eyes. "What… Arthur?"

"Hey," he said softly. "Don't worry; we're going to catch the bastard that did this to you."

Merlin blinked. Arthur gathered that his mind still wasn't all there- or at least, not as much as usual.

"He… He's going to get away," Merlin mumbled. "Hurry…"

Arthur frowned. "He's just one man, Merlin."

"A man who's escaped the entire Guard of Camelot."

The Prince stood up and ordered Merlin to be taken care of, telling the knights to take him and Morgana home, leading a few other men deeper into the forest to catch the Doctor. He completely missed the conspiratorial smiles Morgana and Merlin shared, and pursued the Doctor, unaware that he had already gotten away.

* * *

Everyone, especially the King, was happy to see Morgana back in Camelot, safe and sound. Uther was so overwhelmed with relief he nearly collapsed on the castle steps when he saw her again, sweeping his ward up in a tight embrace.

Their happiness did not last long, however. Arthur had to inform his father that it was the Doctor, the sorcerer who slipped from the King's grasp a week earlier, who had kidnapped Morgana and framed the druids. He was, understandably, furious. He sent extra patrols to the forest to search for the Doctor and kept a guard with Morgana at all times, despite the latter's reassurance that the Doctor would not dare attack again so soon…

She had retired to her chambers that night, exhausted. Uther and Arthur accompanied her everywhere to ensure her safety, and it was now to the point where she found even Gwen a bit stifling. Gaius constantly fretted over her health, and he certainly wasn't helping matters.

The only person Morgana wanted to speak to at that moment was currently being punished by Arthur for sneaking out and being reckless. Merlin had been thanked, much to his surprise, by Uther himself, after Morgana insisted she would have died had he not interfered and "stopped" the Doctor. But Arthur still scolded him for being so rash in his decision.

It was funny now… A few days ago, she would have agreed with Arthur that Merlin shouldn't have gone out by himself, but now she knew the truth about the manservant. And she knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself. He had magic, just like her.

All she wanted to do was talk to him, ask questions! Right then and there, Morgana could not think of a moment where she wanted to see someone so badly.

Fate listened to her request and a few knocks were heard at her door. She opened it to find the subject of her thoughts standing awkwardly in the doorframe.

"My Lady," he mumbled.

"Merlin." She stepped aside to let him in, closing the door after she made sure the guards had not paid him any extra attention. Yes, it was odd to visit so late at night, but everyone in the castle knew Merlin meant no one any harm, so they shrugged it off.

He stood between her and her bed, in the middle of the room. "Um… I imagine you have many questions for me?"

"I don't even know where to start…" Morgana crossed the room and sat at her bed, beckoning Merlin to her side. After hesitating, he sat tensely on the soft sheets. "How long?" she decided to be her first question.

"My whole life," he answered automatically. "I was born with magic, Morgana, just like you."

"So... This whole time, whenever something strange happened, and then it just resolved itself… That was you?" She stared at him, amazed.

He blushed. "W-Well, more or less. I didn't do everything by myself."

"Lady Helen… The Questing Beast… It was always you," Morgana whispered. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Sophia and Aulfric! When I told you about my dream, did you-!"

"Gaius and I feared it, yes. But it was never confirmed until just a few days ago." Deciding to be bold, Merlin took her hands in his own. The Lady pinked.

"Gaius knew, this whole time..." There was hurt in her tone.

"Yes. Besides him, there's only my mother, that man, Lancelot," he waited for her to nod, showing that she remembered the noble commoner, "and, of course, the Doctor." He smiled gently. "And now you."

She briefly returned the motion, feeling flattered that she was now part of an exclusive group. "I'm glad you trusted me."

The smile faltered a bit, but she felt it best to not say anything about it. Merlin abruptly pulled his hands away and stood, leaving Morgana feeling a bit more saddened than she thought she would be.

"It's late; you should get some sleep. I'll try and get to you as soon as I can to answer your questions, I promise."

She nodded, looking at Merlin in a new light. "Yes. Thank you, Merlin." She followed him to the door.

Before he pulled it open, she stood on her toes and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. When she pulled back, they were both very aware of the shades of red battling for dominance on their faces.

"Thank you for everything," she said, inaudible. But Merlin heard.

"Y-You're welcome. Good night, Morgana…"

He slipped out of her chambers and down the stairs, and she closed her door, still blushing furiously.

Merlin was almost running down the stairs, wishing for nothing more than his bed and a good night's sleep. However, he was stopped by, unsurprisingly, Arthur Pendragon.

"This has to stop, Merlin." The Prince's voice was cool.

He turned around to face his master. "What has to stop, My Lord?"

"You know what I'm talking about." Arthur smirked, circling his servant like prey. "My father would have your head if he knew."

Merlin gulped. "K-Knew what?"

"About your affections for the Lady Morgana."

A beat passed, and a light chuckle snuck its way out of the warlock's mouth. "Right, that."

Arthur rolled his eyes. Merlin clearly didn't understand the severity of the situation. "Take some advice from someone who knows something about women…"

"Tell me where to find this person and I will," replied Merlin with cheek.

Arthur ignored the insult, for now. "Stick to girls more… your level."

"You mean like Gwen?" It was Merlin's turn to smirk as a distraught look overtook Arthur's face. "Sorry, My Lord, but I don't think you're in any position to judge." Feeling oddly bold, he clapped Arthur on the shoulder. "Good night. See you tomorrow."

Arthur stared, taken aback, at his servant, who walked calmly back to his chambers. Merlin knew he'd pay for that in the morning, but he honestly felt he deserved that little victory.

Gaius all but ran up to his ward and hugged him tighter than Merlin believed he was capable of. He thought his uncle would be furious with him, but, as Gaius explained, he was just happy to see him back safe.

"Merlin, listen," said Gaius. "About this Doctor…"

"Gaius, please, not now," Merlin pleaded. "He helped today! And now Morgana is happy! Isn't that what matters?"

The older man frowned impatiently. "Let me finish, boy. Now, I still think what you did was very, very stupid. But, Morgana does seem much better now than before she left… And I presume that's thanks to you and the Doctor. I'm also guessing he offered to take the blame?"

"Yes. The whole 'let's make Uther think somebody else did it' plot was his idea."

"Then I suppose I might have misjudged his loyalty to you… It wouldn't be the first time I was wrong."

"You were only doing what you thought was best for me."

"Yes, well… It doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you keep yourself safe. It's not just you on the line anymore, Merlin. You must look after Morgana now as well."

Merlin gave a tired smile. "I can handle it."

"Let's hope so. Uther can never find out about her, or you, especially your relationship with the Doctor. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Gaius," he said.

They bid each other good night, and Merlin settled himself in bed. He gazed out his window, staring at the thousands of tiny stars, wondering if the Doctor was on one of them, waiting until the coast was clear for him to come back, bringing the warlock on more adventures.

He drifted to sleep, knowing the future would be fantastic.

* * *

**Or will it?**

**Next time: Morgana adjusts to life with her newfound knowledge while Merlin and the Doctor discuss legends, destinies, and coincidences.**


End file.
